


Burn

by StarsAndGemstones



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Angst and Feels, Aobajousai, Fight Scenes, Fluff and Angst, Fukuroudani, Karasuno, M/M, Nekoma, Shiratorizawa, Slow Burn, Soulmates, Spies & Secret Agents, injuries, some blood, soulmate connection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 64
Words: 136,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22368793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarsAndGemstones/pseuds/StarsAndGemstones
Summary: Soulmates have existed for a long time now.They connect one another through pain. At the age of five, the connection starts. If one soulmate injures themselves, the other will feel their pain. No matter where they are, no matter what injury... the soulmate will feel it.But what would happen if your soulmate happens to be a secret agent?And what if they were from your rival agency?What if....Through thick and thin, Tsukishima’s beliefs in soulmates start to change with the encounters of another agent named Kuroo.*minor grammar edits are currently being fixed*
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Iwaizumi Hajime/Sawamura Daichi, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Oikawa Tooru/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 226
Kudos: 527





	1. Prologue: A Soul Feels Pain

Soulmates have existed for a long, long time. 

No one knows exactly when the concept of soulmates started, but there are many books and pictures to prove the words. Soulmates are real. However, the term "soulmate" isn't the only thing that makes up the story. 

Soulmates can feel each others pain. Literally.

At the young age of five, everyone feels the pain of their soulmate. Whether it be the enthusiastic youth tripping and scrapping their knee or even smashing a pinky toe against the edge of the table, the other half will feel the pain. The other part is meeting the soulmate.

One touch is all that is needed.

When a pair of soulmates touch each other, the sensation is there. A tingling sensation coursing through the body. It's electrifying, it's prominent, it's different from any other sensation...

But in a split second, it's gone.

Where ever the soulmates touched, there will be a marking. A simple shape with some sort of color. A triangle colored red. A square with neon green. No soulmate mark is the same. 

That's the concept of soulmates.

Of course...there's a dark side to all lovely things.

If a soulmate happens to hurt the other one, the pain is like no other. There were stories about people who have fainted because of the unbearable pain. Some never recovered from any injuries. 

There are the unfortunate who have soulmates who are on the verge of death or who live for the thrill of certain death. 

And if they're anything like Tsukishima... there is a person out there who's soulmate is a part of a dangerous career. 


	2. Lip Gloss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission that includes a disguise.

How unfortunate.

Tsukishima would feel bad for his soulmate every once in a while. The pain they felt must be worse than they would have expected. Sure, at the least, they would probably expect a paper cut, a bruised arm, a twisted ankle, or maybe even a punch to the gut. All of those don't compare to what Tsukishima would feel. 

The graze of a bullet, a knife slicing through flesh, a bat slammed against the legs, maybe even a sword if their target decides to follow a tradition or theme. 

Luckily, Tsukishima was a careful fellow. His injuries aren't as major as the other people in his agency. 

After all, they were a spy agency.

His job was quite simple if you looked at from his perspective. Get the slush fund files, shoot this person, track down this dealer, attend this place at this time....

Cross-dress in order to get into a gala.

Cross dressing...

Tsukishima wasn't very fond of those kinds of missions. 

"Tsukki...stay still!" 

Tsukishima eyelids twitched from the contact lenses he was wearing. A deep brown colored lens. Not much of a significant difference, but it'll do for the job. He was sitting in a chair, a few cosmetics to his left and a rack of clothes and wigs to his right. His friend and fellow agent, Yamaguchi, was looking at a swatch palette as he picked up a makeup brush. He shook his head as he looked back at Tsukishima.

"Ah...I know you don't like this, but it's pretty necessary if you don't want to get caught," Yamaguchi sighed as he applied a light shade of grey to the brush. His hand extended towards Tsukishima as he applied the eye-shadow on Tsukishima's face. 

"It's annoying," Tsukishima grumbled, "makeup just feels heavy and not to mention the wig..."

"You could always ask to get a different mission, but I wouldn't go for it."

Tsukishima glanced in the direction the voice came from. On the other side of the clothes rack, Tsukishima saw the familiar shadow of his partner. The agent's hand reached to pull the clothing rack away. 

There he was. All ready to go and with a tube of lip gloss in his other hand.

"Oh! Akaashi," Yamaguchi said, "I wanted to help you too..."

Akaashi brushed away locks of hair that rested on his shoulder. A well done smokey-eye and eyeliner on point adorned his eyes. Akaashi's dress, blue sequined and knee high dress, snugly rested around his body. White stilettos were on his feet. His long black wig was well groomed. It all looked convincing.

"It's fine Yamaguchi," Akaashi smiled as he unscrewed the cap of his lip gloss, "I can handle these kinds of things myself, after all, these kinds of missions are probably the ones I do the most."

"Maybe for you Akaashi," Tsukishima sighed. His makeup was done and Yamaguchi soon moved onto placing the wig, "I'm more of an observer."

"You're stuck with me on this one though," Akaashi said with a smirk as he applied the lip gloss, "This job should be simple if nothing gets in the way."

Attend the gala at the Ushijima residence. Through connections, their agency managed to get a spot on the guest list as different identities. Their mission was to get a piece of information for a lead on the leader of a gang. The usual things their agency could deal with.

Of course, the identities just had to be of the opposite sex.

So here they were, dressed up as Sakura and Yui, the daughters of a a CEO far out of Tokyo. The short blonde wig was placed on Tsukishima's head. A red dress was zipped up. Some black ankle boots were slipped on. He was ready. 

"Now then," Akaashi said, "let's go crash this party."

* * *

It was a big place. 

The large dance floor was shining with fresh polish. The glittering chandeliers spun ever so slightly, the reflections of the glass bouncing off of the walls. People in their best attire chatted and sipped wine and champagne. The Ushijima residents were in a separate room, made specially for their business and trades. Everyone else here were friends, family, and anyone who was thought to benefit the Ushijimas. 

Some people even showed off their soulmate marks proudly.

"It's been years and we have yet to find our soulmates," Akaashi sighed into his champagne glass, "You'd ought to think that we'd at least bump into them at some point."

Tsukishima simply rolled his eyes, "What for? They must be suffering because of our work. Not to mention, a huge percentage of people who find their soulmates never even stay with them," he muttered.

Tsukishima wasn't the most excited person when it came to soulmates. The concept isn't all sunshine and rainbows. 

The dance floor soon filled up with people as the music began.

And their mission would soon begin as well.

Akaashi applied a fresh layer of lip gloss and popped his lips.

"Alright, let's get started." 


	3. Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encounters happen.

Tsukishima looked around for the door leading deeper into the home. Their mission was to retrieve a piece of information hidden within a family painting. Of course, the painting is hanged within the house. 

He took the last sip of his red wine and set it down on the table. Akaashi looked back at him as he moved further into the room. Tsukishima followed, making his way around the dancing and laughing people. He could practically smell the dirty money that many of those people were making. His lips twitched in annoyance. People like those were the most annoying to deal with.

Akaashi arrived at the front of the doors to the hallways. There stood two guards. Both were wearing their in-ear communicators, most likely to speak to other guards within the perimeter. One had white hair with some streaks of light and dark grey. The other had a wild looking hairdo, black spikes wavering from one side to the other.

They looked awfully familiar....

"Excuse me," Akaashi said in the sweetest voice possible, "Is it alright if we can pass by to go to the bathrooms?"

The one with grey streaks looked at Akaashi, "There are bathrooms that way," he simply stated, pointing towards the right side of the room.

Akaashi pouted, "Ah... it's just that those are all filled up and by the way..."

Akaashi looked towards Tsukishima and proceeded to whisper something to the guard. The golden eyes of the guard widened as he glanced towards Tsukishima. 

Ah yes. The classic "it's that time of month" gig. 

"Just go straight down the hall and to the left miss," the guard said as he opened the door, "the bathroom isn't hard to find."

Tsukishima smiled, "Thank you so much," he said as he walked into the hallway with Akaashi. 

For a split second, Tsukishima made eye contact with the other guard. Brown met whiskey. Those sharp eyes hid such an intense gaze. The corner of the guard's lip twitched, a slight smirk appearing on his face.

He looked so familiar.

* * *

Straight down the hallway and a turn to the left. 

Past that, there were so many more hallways. One extended to another. 

"I've heard that this whole entire place is sound proof," Akaashi said out loud, "Apparently the Ushijimas don't have the best family relationships, so they don't trust one another." 

Tsukishima peeked into the corner of one hall, "Well that was in the past," he turned the corner, "there's only one Ushijima here right now. The others already have their own places."

Akaashi sighed, "Right. It's just Wakatoshi and-"

Tsukishima stopped for a moment. In the next hall, he saw what they were looking for.

The family painting of the Ushijimas. 

Akaashi looked ahead and saw the golden frame, "There it is."

Tsukishima couldn't help but to feel wary about it though. Those guards seemed too familiar.

"Akaashi," Tsukishima quietly asked as they walked towards the painting, "haven't we seen those guards before?" 

"I felt that as well," Akaashi replied as he continued to walk forward, "perhaps we've seen them before."

Tsukishima recalled the whiskey colored eyes he locked on with. It wasn't just the color. His eyes seemed to be so narrow. Just like...

A cat.

Tsukishima's mind flashed back to the many missions they carried out as he team. For a moment, just a moment, he saw the silhouette of a man wandering through the shadows of his memories. And there they were again.

Those eyes.

He knew.

"Akaashi... those are the agents from-"

Suddenly, the clicks of shoes echoed throughout the hallways. They abruptly stopped. Tsukishima and Akaashi looked back to the other end of the hallway.

There they were again. Those eyes.

"The agents from the joint agency... Nekodornai."

The two guys looked at them. The one with black hair spoke up.

"Look what we have here... two birds of prey who weren't careful enough."

Akaashi rolled his eyes, "Any lady would be prepared to defend herself," he replied with a hint of sass. 

Both of their dresses had a thigh slit. Push the slit back and boom. Gun strapped to the thigh. Another classic trick.

The man simply shook his head, "Ah... to think that this guy over here really let you through."

The other guard flinched at that.

"Now then..." the guard looked up.

Those whiskey colored eyes gleamed with the little moonlight shining through the windows. He looked to his partner. 

" _Let's hunt down a crow and an owl today my friend."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading along!


	4. The Evening Echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nekodorani Agency and the Birds of Prey Agency face off.

Kuroo wasn't one for hands-on combat. He preferred to do things quickly. And long range. He loved to run on top of large scale buildings, to feel the midnight breeze against his skin while running across the rooftops. To move within the shadows and take down the target.

To keep the mission flowing.

Hands-on combat is more suited for Bokuto than himself. Full on and all out. 

Kuroo liked being reliable and silent.

But there are times he liked to go all out.

Kuroo smiled as he saw the two other agents brace themselves. Cross-dressing to get into a tough spot... Kuroo was lucky that he managed to recognize one of the agents, but he couldn't remember their names. The one with the blue dress tapped his heel, the click of the shoe echoing quietly through the silent hallways. The other, the blond, simply directed his gaze towards him. 

" _Come at me if you dare."_

Kuroo grinned. It's been so long since he felt excited to go one on one. He could feel Bokuto's energy as well.

However, the energy shattered as a gun was shot. Bokuto flinched as a bullet whizzed past him. The one in the blue dress ran right past and into the maze of hallways. Bokuto's eyes widened slightly. Who knew that someone could run like that in heels?

"Get him," Kuroo muttered to Bokuto, "I'll handle this one."

Bokuto nodded and smiled as he ran to catch up with the other agent. 

Kuroo looked towards the blond. Unlike the other one, the blond held his fists up. 

" _Come at me if you dare."_

Kuroo grinned once more. The blond pivoted and went straight for him. Kuroo did the same. Kuroo went for the first punch. Kuroo swung his fist to hit the agent.

He was blocked immediately.

The blond had protected his face by using his arms to take the blow. He clicked his tongue and smiled at Kuroo. 

Kuroo's arms started to feel tingly.... it was starting to hurt. 

"Ey, don't just focus on one part!"

It was push and pull. One would attack, but the other would dodge. Their skills were on par. The blond started to get frustrated. This wouldn't end anytime soon...

At that moment the blond pulled out his gun and proceeded to back away from Kuroo. Kuroo just stared and sighed, "Taking the easy way out, eh?"

The blond cocked his gun, "I like to deal with things quickly and efficiently."

Kuroo smirked. He pulled back his blazer to show the gun strapped near his shoulder, "The same goes for me kid," Kuroo pulled out his gun and clicked the bullet into place. Shooting was one of his specialties. The same could go for the blond.

The moonlight shined through the window. Kuroo could see the glint of the blond's eyes. He pointed his gun towards Kuroo as he clicked his own bullet into place. Kuroo raised his as well. 

Most of the time one person would shoot immediately, but some agencies follow an unwritten rule. Don't shoot until ten seconds have passed. Acknowledge your opponent. Kuroo set his gaze firmly on the blond.

But all of the sudden, his focus was gone. Something echoed throughout the halls.

* * *

Akaashi simply laid there in shock. One moment he was running through the halls and for a brief minute, he shook off the other agent. Akaashi took the moment to rip off his heels. 

_"Found you."_

When Akaashi felt that strong presence behind him, he immediately turned around and tackled the person. Within seconds, the guard was underneath him and Akaashi had a heel in his hand. 

But his body ached. It started to burn....

He shouldn't have ran so hard.

And then he felt something awful.

Akaashi grunted and his eyes widened. When he looked down, there was...a dagger buried into his leg.

The guard under him winced and his lips trembled. He must have taken the moment to attack when Akaashi was zoning out, but Akaashi was surprised that he didn't notice it back in the other room. 

Akaashi's body burned with pain. 

And there it echoed.

A loud scream ripped out from the guard's throat. Akaashi was pushed off, but before he lost grip of the guard, Akaashi tried to put his heel to good use. He slammed the heel into the temple of the guard's head. It wasn't much of an impact... the heel immediately broke off from how fragile it became when running. Despite that, there was a gash appearing on the guard's head.

Akaashi's head started to pound. Gravity pulled Akaashi's body towards the floor. He felt his head make contact with the velvet carpet....

And this time, his scream echoed.

* * *

Tsukishima could hear the shouting bouncing off of the walls. The other guard lost his focus, his gun lowered ever so slightly....

And Tsukishima took his shot. 

3...

2...

1...

_**Bang.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter kinda sucked, it's been a while since I wrote suspenseful scenes. :(


	5. Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When a soulmate is severely injured by the other, the pain is horrific.

Their guns clattered onto the floor. 

The ringing of a gunshot echoed throughout the hallways and through Tsukishima's ears. It was the only sound going through his head. His eyes trembled when he looked over to the guard on the floor.

He was crouched, clutching his shoulder and crumpling his blazer. Little by little, the guard fell onto his side, his whole body shaking. 

Tsukishima's legs also crumpled under him. His vision was blurry as he fell onto the floor. Everything was spinning...

Even when he breathed, there was something coursing through his veins. It was electric... up and down it went through his spine to spread all around his body. He could feel his legs twitch. He couldn't move....

And then, Tsukishima felt an eerie chill crawl up his spine. 

A blood-curdling scream ripped out from the guard's throat. Tsukishima glanced over to his direction. Tsukishima could see blood dripping through the white undershirt. The guard's veins were popping out of his throat. He was sweating and his face was a fluorescent red...

Tsukishima's body curled up even more. His body scrunched up tightly. The pain surged through his body. His chest started to heave up and down. He couldn't catch his breath....

A zap of pain went through his shoulder. Tsukishima couldn't take it no more.

He screamed. 

It was living hell. No matter what he did, he would feel the electrifying pain moving throughout his body. It started to burn. He felt the heat rising within him. It was too much to handle.

Tsukishima looked around, his vision becoming blurrier and blurrier. He saw something. Something blue. His vision started to clear up for a moment...

Akaashi was dragging himself into the hallway. Tsukishima could see him sluggishly move around the guard. The guard's hand reached out to Akaashi, but Akaashi lightly kicked the hand away. The guard could barely move. His hand twitched for a moment, but then it drooped onto the floor. 

Akaashi slowly limped past Tsukishima and towards the painting. Tsukishima glanced over to see Akaashi stab a dagger into the corner of the painting. 

The dagger was tainted with dry blood.

When Tsukishima looked down, he noticed that Akaashi's leg was wrapped with something. 

Ah... those echos were from Akaashi's fight. 

Tsukishima could see Akaashi pull out a small card from the painting. Akaashi clutched the card in his hand and placed the piece of the painting he cut out back. Tsukishima's vision started to blur again. He could hear Akaashi's light footsteps coming towards him. 

"Let's go, Tsukishima," Akaashi weakly said. Tsukishima could feel Akaashi dragging him up. Akaashi threw Tsukishima's arm around himself so that he could support Tsukishima. The two limply walked away from that hallway, the smell of iron and smoke hanging within the air.

Tsukishima got chills once more when he heard the guard wince and scream. It wasn't loud, but Tsukishima could still feel the pain coursing through his body. 

By the time they got to the car, Tsukishima passed out. 

* * *

Kuroo couldn't feel anything at all.

He laid there on the floor, the world slowly spinning and the world coming to a halt in sudden moments. 

"Ah," Kuroo whispered, "mission failed."

Where's Bokuto? Why can't he get back up? Why? Why...

Kuroo's eyelids became heavy. His body felt numb, but he could see droplets on blood and sweat slip down his arms. He allowed his body to limply rest on the floor. What was the point of trying again? Anytime he tried to move, something was hurting, the pain reminding his body that it was still there. 

If the home wasn't sound-proofed, he wouldn't be on the floor like this. Someone would have appeared to stop it before it went all wrong.

Kuroo's vision faded, he glanced at the floor, his hand in front of him. He saw a something splayed across his fingers. He saw and heard the muffled footsteps of someone. 

But soon, Kuroo passed out as well. 


	6. Marking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone realizes.

_"Hey...hey... Kuroo..."_

**"HEY!"**

Kuroo jolted awake, his body immediately shooting up to sit down straight. He gasped aloud, but the electric pain was finally gone. However, he grunted at the uncomfortable feeling of fresh stitches. Kuroo could still feel the sweat on his forehead. When he looked to his right, Bokuto was there, smile still bright as ever.

"Hey, hey, hey! You're finally awake!" Bokuto shouted in relief, "I thought we lost you there for a moment."

Kuroo rubbed his injured shoulder lightly, "How long was I out?" 

"It's the next afternoon."

Kuroo's eyes widened slightly, "I've almost been out for a whole day?" he said in disbelief.

Bokuto nodded, "You would have been out for longer if I hadn't waken you up. I think you were having a nightmare... you were sweating and whimpering."

Kuroo felt a drop of sweat fall down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away with a nearby towel. Kuroo rarely had nightmares. That one shot must have really affected him. 

His shoulder ached whenever he thought about last night. He still wondered about something though....

"Bo, the screams before the gun was fired... was that you?" he tentatively asked. 

Bokuto nodded once more. His eyes softened a little, "Yeah. It's just that..." Bokuto hesitated for a moment, "Something started to burn and hurt when that agent tackled me."

Kuroo raised his eyebrow, "Was it...electrifying? And it had this painful zappy feeling?"

"Yes!" Bokuto exclaimed, "It hurted like hell! I though it was because he was squeezing or trying to suffocate me, but it got worse after I stabbed him with my dagger," Bokuto continued. He pouted a little, "I lost my dagger though..."

"Bo, get to highlight. What happened after?"

"That's the strange thing," Bokuto said quietly, "He too started to cry out. The agent fell and he was in a lot of pain, but completely missed what I was aiming for."

Kuroo rubbed his chin, "Maybe you did get it."

Bokuto shook his head again, "I know that I missed. He did manage to leave a scar on me," Bokuto continued as he pointed to some bandages on his head, "But I saw something on his leg... before I pushed him off."

Kuroo gave him a puzzled look. Bokuto looked down at himself and lifted the side of his shirt. Near his rib, was a triangle. It was a bright blue, almost like the color of the sky. 

Bokuto never had his soulmate mark before.

"It's him," Bokuto said quietly, "That agent is my soulmate."

Kuroo's eyes widen. He suddenly remembered the thing that was splayed over his fingers last night. He looked down at his right hand. Splayed across three of his knuckles were some lines. Displayed next to each other, it connected to make a black circle. It couldn't be...

"I found mine too," Kuroo whispered.

The two became quiet. Bokuto had always dreamed about meeting his soulmate. Kuroo also had the desire of meeting his soulmate. He had always thought about it when he was little. Only recently did he want to find them though. He wanted fond memories of their first encounters....

But he could feel his blood boiling at the thought of his soulmate being the one who shot him. At the same time, Kuroo couldn't help but to feel...excited.

When Kuroo looked towards Bokuto, he saw that his friend grazed his fingers where his mark was. Bo, however, was lost within his thoughts. He knew what they were both thinking of... 

"Kuroo, what if our agency does something to them. You know the past we have with The Birds of Prey," Bokuto worriedly, "What if he asks us to-"

Bokuto's words were cut off by a sudden knock on the door. Bokuto looked up. The door knob twisted. The familiar face of another agent appeared. 

"Kenma, is something wrong?" Kuroo asked.

Kenma, his friend for the longest time, stared at Kuroo for a while. He pushed aside his pudding like hair to read the note he was holding.

"Oikawa asks for you to see him when you feel better," Kenma said, "You too, Bokuto," Kenma repeated after the note. Kenma nodded his head at Kuroo and then left. Kuroo knew that Kenma was worried about him.

But Kuroo's biggest concern at the moment wasn't his injury.

It was his future mission... and he had a strange feeling about what it would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos !


	7. Unnoticed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone doesn't realize.

When Tsukishima woke up in the morning, he felt the last bit of pain trickle away. By the afternoon, Tsukishima realized that his shoulder still ached.

Perhaps the little bit of hands-on combat wore him out. He looked down at himself, sitting up in the infirmary bed. He had a could of patches on his arms; pain relief patches to ease the bruising and sensitivity. A few band-aids were wrapped around his fingers.Other than that, there was no major injury.

The only thing that caused a problem was him passing out.

Tsukishima rubbed his chin. He didn't remember the last time he blacked out because of a painful things. There were times where he was close to going, but he usually recuperated before anymore damage could be done. 

His train of thought soon dispersed when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up to see Akaashi opening the door. He had thick bandages wrapped around his left leg and was supported by a crutch. 

"How are you feeling, Tsukishima?" Akaashi asked as he sat down in a nearby chair. 

"I'm feeling better than I was in the morning," Tsukishima simply stated, "What about you?"

Akaashi patted his leg, "It's not that bad," he said with a chuckle, "I've received worse blows, but this will probably become a scar. I'll be fine after a week or two."

Tsukishima nodded. Akaashi was better at handling pain than Tsukishima was.

Another soft knock came at the door. This time, the head of the agents entered through the door. His short brown hair peeked through the doors and soon, the two saw the friendly brown eyes of their leader. 

"Sawamura," Akaashi said with a smile, "What brings you to our little pity party?" he said with a smirk. 

Sawamura laughed, "You guys still completed your mission. You did well," he smiled, "Even though you encountered those other agents."

Sawamura had a file in his hand, "Apparently, those two were hired to protect Ushijima from any harm," he sighed, "but looks like we've had one too many encounters with those two in particular."

He handed Akaashi the file. Only a couple of records, a few profiles, and a description of the agents jobs. Tsukishima glanced over to the profiles of the agents. The one Akaashi fought was named Bokuto Koutarou. The other one was named Kuroo Testsurou. Many of their jobs were as hitmen. It was rare for them to handle the small jobs. 

Looks like they live for the thrill. 

"We should keep an eye on how close the Nekodorani agency gets to us," Sawamura acknowledged, "I can't help but to feel a little bit uneasy about all these encounters."

The two nodded. Sawamura left with a nod and a smile. 

Agencies weren't open about having relationships and knowing other agents. They looked at everyone as a rival. There were few occasions where agencies merged together, such as the Nekodorani agency under a bigger agency. 

There were agents who were close to each other.

One half knows about their soulmates. Tsukishima and Akaashi don't realize it though.

Their marks are hidden beneath the bandages. They know nothing.

And on the other side of town, Kuroo and Bokuto face an ongoing mission:

 **It includes to track and kill a pair of agents.**


	8. Secrets and Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one must know.

Kuroo and Bokuto didn't know what to do.

In front of them was the files of the two agents they met the other day on a desk. A short description and a couple of skills were listed of the two agents. On the other side of the desk, sat the head of the joint agencies. His chocolate brown hair bounced when he looked up. Kuroo's eyes met with the light brown ones. The man smiled at the two agents.

"Tetsu-chan. Kou-chan," Oikawa nodded towards the papers, "That's your next mission," he said with a smile.

"These two haven't been a problem, so why?" Bokuto asked cautiously.

"It's not on my order," Oikawa said calmly, "Ushiwaka hired us for this one."

Kuroo gave a puzzled look. Ushijima rarely had any business with the agents at the Birds of Prey agency. Was it because they took the card? Or do they have unresolved issues? 

They didn't understand. 

Oikawa stood up, "I have something else to do, so I'll leave you to it!" he said in a cheery voice. He left with a smile on his face. 

Bokuto's shoulders slumped as he read the papers, "Akaashi Keiji. Tsukishima Kei," he looked back at Kuroo, "Mission is to track and eliminate them. Follow them for a while, be secretive, and eliminate the target."

Kuroo felt dizzy at the sudden order, "What could have possibly caused Ushijima to do this?" he asked out into the open.

"I don't know," Bokuto mumbled, "but if anything happens, we can't let the client or Oikawa know that we are," he looked around cautiously, "you know..."

Kuroo nodded, but he could see that Bokuto wasn't worrying about himself. Bokuto was aimlessly dragging his fingers in the area his soulmate mark was. While being the soulmates of targets can put them in peril, it's obvious that the targets won't have it easy. 

Of course Bokuto would be worried. He's always wanted to meet his soulmate, but it wouldn't even be possible if they were gone. Not to mention, the pain the two would feel...

"Oh!" Bokuto yelped in surprise, "I have an errand to run, I'll be back in a little!"

Bokuto zoomed out of the door. Kuroo laughed a little. He knew exactly what Bokuto was going to do. It was a Sunday afternoon, which meant that Bo's favorite bakery served cheesecake. "A very special mission" as Bokuto quoted it to be.

Kuroo hoped that some cheesecake would take off the burden of the mission. Even if it is for a few minutes.

* * *

"Iwa-chan, slow down!"

Oikawa was a pretty decent guy- or at least he liked to think so. He did his missions to perfection. He gave missions that fit the specialties of his agents. Yes, he was indeed, a great guy. 

So why...

"You should be able to keep up with your long legs," Iwaizumi drawled, not walking any slower. They just came back from retrieving more information from a client. Oikawa liked Iwaizumi accompanying him to his little outings. After all, he'd known Iwaizumi for a long time, yet he didn't spend as much time with him as he did in the old days. 

"I'm was just walking slower because I thought YOU'D be the one struggling," Oikawa smirked.

Iwaizumi's shoulders tensed. He turned around. His eyes twitched in annoyance, "Say that to me one more time and you know what'll come."

Oikawa hummed, "You'd never hurt me."

Iwaizumi sighed, "But I'm tempted," he said with a chuckle. 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi continued walking. Oikawa knew that deep down, Iwaizumi cared for him, even if he didn't show it everyday. But Iwaizumi did have something special to him.

Oikawa watched as Iwaizumi pulled his phone out. He received a text message from someone. Oikawa watched as Iwaizumi's lips curled into a soft smile. Even his hard expression loosened up at the sight of the text he received.

Iwaizumi found his soulmate. And they were dating.

The day that Iwaizumi told Oikawa that he found his soulmate, Oikawa's heart crumpled. He always thought that they would be soulmates, even ever since he was little. However, when he realized that nothing showed up on the palms of his hands when he high-fived him, or nothing on his arms when Iwaizumi punched him, the mark would never showed up.

Oikawa looked at the back of his left hand. An aqua colored hexagon was in the center. 

Oikawa never saw his soulmate face to face. His hand happened to hit someone else's, perhaps on the subway or in the streets. Oikawa didn't know who his soulmate was.

He couldn't help but to feel bitter. 

But Oikawa continued to smile at Iwaizumi. He continued to laugh and tease him.

Because not all things work out. The stars aren't aligned as people want it to be. Maybe destiny and fate decided to play around and try something new. Despite feeling bitter, Oikawa knew that not all soulmate pairs work out.

It was like that for many people.

Maybe, just maybe, he would be included in that handful.

For now, Oikawa would hide his bitterness. He'd bury his feelings for a while.

Oikawa had more important things to do. As much as he despised this client....

Ushijima was counting on him to avenge someone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support!


	9. The Little Things in Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ushijima has a love for the little perfect things in life. Just like Shirabu does. But Shibaru can't enjoy them any longer.
> 
> Akaashi has a sweet tooth just like Bokuto does, but something turns sour.

The Wakatoshi Residence, or commonly known as The Ushijima Residence, was the home to Ushijima Wakatoshi and a few others. Sometimes his family came to visit or sometimes his guards spend weeks at his house. But for now it was just Ushijima and his fiance. 

He was supposed to have the title of being a husband. But something pushed back the date. Far back.

Ushijima walked through the gardens of his residence. Just a few days ago, some agents caused a ruckus in his home. The carpets were stained with blood and something important was gone. He can't believe Oikawa would send some incapable people to protect him and his guests. 

The Birds of Prey agency.

That's all where it started.

Ushijima continued to walk through the garden. The path led straight to the next section of the residence. It was the observation home, a place where Ushijima liked to spend time with his loved one. They enjoyed the little things in life.

The sound of the birds, the rustling of leaves, the growth of a small sprout: they loved to bask in the simplicity of nature. 

When Ushijima stood in front of the steps of the entrance, he took a deep breath and turned the door knob.   
  


The sunlight entered through the windows of the little house in the garden. A light breeze came through the crack of the window. Ushijima walked into the home.   
  


There, in the center of the room, was a bed. There he was. His soulmate, his love, his fiance.

The one who couldn't walk.

Shirabu's head tilted to look at Ushijima. He smiled sweetly "Hey," he said softly.

Ushijima made his way to Shibaru. He kneeled down near the bed and held Shirabu’s hand. A few nasty scars were marked on Shibaru's hands. An old burn mark ran down his arm. And his legs...

Shirabu couldn't move his legs.

He was paralyzed waist down, this year marking the third year. He had a wheelchair to help him move around, but Shibaru hated it. 

Shirabu used to love strolling through the gardens.

Ushijima sighed. Shirabu smile turned into a frown, "Is something wrong?"

"This all could have been preventable," Ushijima spoke, "We weren't quick enough to leave that wretched place. We-"

Shirabu squeezed his hand, "It's okay. Really," he reassured, "I'm alright."

Ushijima knew that it wasn't okay. He saw Shirabu cry out of frustration many times. He saw how Shirabu longingly looked outside at the walking people. He knew. He knew.

"We'll win this time around. An eye for an eye," Ushijima firmly stated.

Ushijima had confidence in Oikawa. He knew that this time, they would do the job correctly.

Starting with those agents they found, but soon working their way up to the one who started it all.

* * *

Akaashi stared at the display counter in front of him. Rows of sweets were being pulled fresh from the oven and placed delicately in the window shelf. The sweet smell wafted throughout the store. People chattered and munched away at today's special. Cheesecake. 

Akaashi loved bakeries. The little details pleased him. Whether it be the decorations or music, there was someting soothing about bakeries. 

He leaned against his crutch, "Hm, I suppose I could get a little bit of strawberry shortcake for Tsukishima," Akaashi murmured to himself. He decided to get the strawberry short cake and a whole cheesecake to bring back to the others. He also ordered an iced americano for the road. 

Akaashi looked around to see who was in the store. A couple. Another couple. Someone by themselves- oh wait. Here comes someone. Maybe it's a friend. 

No. It's their lover.

He sighed to himself. It seems as if everyone in the world found their soulmates. Akaashi saw all the regular or irregular shapes and colors on people's skin. While he worried on occasions about finding his soulmate, he couldn't help but to feel a little happy for the ones who found theirs already.

He wondered where his soulmate could be. 

Akaashi went up to the counter to pick up the cakes and drink, but he soon realized that he couldn't pick up his drink. He had the bag with treats in one hand, but he had his crutch in the other.

"Let me help you with that!"

Akaashi watched as someone picked up the drink for him. The guy wore a cap and he must have just entered the place. He still had his sunglasses on. 

"Ah, thanks," he nodded, "I'm just going to drink it over there," he gestured his head towards a table near the window. He might as well finish it since he couldn't carry it.

The man walked over to the table and placed it down. He nodded at Akaashi as he returned to the line. Akaashi nodded back and he went over to sit down. 

He looked back at the guy as he sipped on his drink. He seemed like a nice fellow. Akaashi watched as he took off his sunglasses to look at the menu. Akaashi chuckled. The sunglasses must have been too dark for the guy to even see Akaashi's face clearly. 

As the man payed for his things, he took his cap off to fix his hair. 

His white, grey striped hair.

Akaashi froze. Why was he here? His agency was across town. Was he following him since yesterday? 

Akaashi stood up, throwing out the drink first and then grabbing his things. He walked as fast as he could with his crutch. As he walked out the door, he looked through the window.

Those golden eyes were staring at him. The agent was frozen as well. He barely held up the bag of treats he bought. Akaashi looked away and continued to move forward.

Was he really being followed? Or was it coincidence? 

He didn't know.

Bokuto knew it was a coincidence. Bokuto stood there as he watched his soulmate- his target walk away. The smell of his cheesecake became sour. Bokuto couldn't help but to feel bitter and torn. He wanted to talk to the agent. Bokuto wanted him to know who he really was, not just as an agent who stabbed his leg. But he also had a job to do. Oikawa would kill him if he didn't 

He had no idea what to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This book is harder to write than Life Through Glass was ^^;
> 
> Hopefully you guys are enjoying :D


	10. Rooftop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer has turned to fall. Kuroo has recovered and is back on the rooftops.

Iwaizumi stuffed his hands in his pockets. It was now the end of September. All the agents were prepping themselves for a night mission, but Iwaizumi just had enough time to go see someone special. 

He looked up at the sky changing colors. The sun was starting to set. but he knew that even though it was late, that person would be there for a rather late lunch. 

Iwaizumi smiled to himself as he turned into a small diner. It was called "Moonlight", a cozy and retro inspired diner-and bar. As he opened the door, the smell of salty fries wafted throughout the air. The old red booths were the still the same. Even the rustic jukebox was there. 

His smile became soft after he saw the backside of a familiar person.

Iwaizumi quietly took his coat off as he walked towards the person. He set the coat on an empty seat near the counter. Iwaizumi saw the man munching away on some fries and he saw half of an unfinished burger next to the fries. 

As quietly as possible, Iwaizumi came up behind the man and embraced him, "Guess who?" he said playfully.

The man chuckled. He tilted his head back to look at Iwaizumi. Those lovely brown eyes twinkled, "It's nice to see you too," Daichi said through a mouthful of fries. 

"Hey, don't talk with your mouth full," Iwaizumi laughed. After Daichi swallowed his food, Iwiazumi planted a gentle kiss on his forehead. Daichi smiled fondly.

"So, what brings you here?" Daichi asked as Iwaizumi sat down, "Other than to see me, of course."

Iwaizumi's smiled started to fall, "Ah... I was just wondering how your agents were doing."

Daichi frowned, "Is this about your agents following ours?" 

"You knew?" Iwaizumi said in surprise, "I didn't tell you though..."

Daichi crossed his arms, "It's pretty obvious to see your two agents. Not very secretive with the hair, huh?"

Iwaizumi sighed, "There's really nothing we could do about it-"

"Tracking our agents because your scared or what?" Daichi shook his head, "I didn't think that your agency would lack confidence."

Iwaizumi paused. He didn't know why their agents were tracking them. Daichi simply believed they wanted to observe their competition. Iwaizumi could tell him the truth, but....

"Earth to Zoomzoom? Are you still there?"

Iwaizumi came back to reality. He laughed a little, "Zoomzoom isn't even close to my name Daichi."

"Zumi and Zoom are pretty similar," Daichi pointed out with a smile. He looked at Iwaizumi, "I hope Oikawa isn't planning something sneaky."

"Don't worry," Iwaizumi reassured, "They'll be fine."

Daichi just nodded and returned to eating. Iwaizumi sighed softly. He was disgusted at himself for lying, but he was scared of losing him. Being with Daichi was probably one of the only things that kept him sane. The life of killing and doing dirty work does something to the mind. 

Iwaizumi didn't want to lose his only source of healing.

Just for a while... he'll keep this secret from him.

Just for a while.

* * *

It was nighttime now. The moonlight cracked through the scarce amount of clouds looming in the sky. Footsteps slapped against the rooftops of the low buildings.

Kuroo grinned as they jumped over a gap to reach the next building. He tucked and rolled to soften his landing. They had just finished with their mission in taking down a particular gang of drug dealers who were causing trouble for them. It was a relief they were finally out of their hair. Kuroo didn't want to go home just yet. 

"Hey! I'll stick around for a little bit, I really need the fresh air," he told the other agents as the were prepping to run once more. 

The agents nodded an shrugged as the continued on their way. Kuroo waved as they left and he was by himself. 

He sat down on the edge of the building. He rolled his shoulder back and stretched his arms a little. 

The stitches were all out. He had to go through a little bit of physical therapy as well. It hurt to move his shoulder for a long time, but now he was fine. Nothing bothered him.

Except for his long mission.

Kuroo flexed his fingers and looked down at his soulmate mark. He trace the circle with the fingers of his other hand. Kuroo had been following the blond agent- Tsukishima- for a while now. He saw where he went to eat, he saw where his agency was, he even saw a few of his missions.

But Kuroo was still torn on whether to go through with it or not.

"On one hand, I'll complete the mission. On the other hand, I will literally feel death," Kuroo murmured to himself. It could be possible that he could die from hitting the target. Not to mention...

It's his soulmate. 

What could he possibly have done to cause Ushijima to want him dead?

Kuroo looked down and his eyes widened. He quickly scurried away from the edge and hid away from sight. 

_"What are they doing here?"_ Kuroo wondered to himself. 

When he peek over the edge again, he saw the group of people at the bottom. Some held hand guns and long-range rifles. Some of the people snapped on their gloves or placed their guns into the placeholders. 

But a familiar blond head caught his attention. 


	11. Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima bites off more than he can chew.

It was dark.

The sparse clouds soon became thicker as the autumn wind blew in. The moonlight disappeared in a few seconds.

Tsukishima checked his gun. Locked and loaded. He had a back up weapon just in case if his gun was knocked away. A group of agents huddled around Daichi. Their eyes were dark and almost lifeless. Many of the agents build that kind a demeanor to seem tough or cool. Some of the agents continued to stretch while Daichi began to speak. 

"Remember your positions," he whispered, "We aren't letting them get away this time."

The infamous Snake Bite gang. Most gang members had viper bite piercing and a green snake slithering down their arm. They always wore black and green. The gang members usually dealt drugs and illegal weapons.

But recently, they killed some people. 

Some people aren't just satisfied with dirty money. 

Daichi finished reexplaining the plan, "Alright, let's go."

The team nodded firmly as each pair went off. Kageyama and Hinata, the freak hands-on duo, went further down the alley until they were out of sight. Yamaguchi was in the car, ready to collect the agents and drive away if necessary. Sugawara, Asahi, and Daichi went to the left. Nishinoya and Tanka ran to the right.

Akaashi and Tsukishima were positioned near the dead center of the alleyway. Out in the open, Exposed.

It was dead silent. 

Akaashi scanned the ground floor while Tsukishima looked at the rooftops. His eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpsed of black hair.

Tsukishima looked at Akaashi. He nodded and continued to scan the rooftops.

In a moment, that gang member would try to get enough height to see Tsukishima and Akaashi properly. Just a little bit of the shoulders would appear and later on, the barrel of a rifle would appear.

Just a little bit... just a little bit of time that it takes to lower your guard to place a bullet. 

Tsukishima saw from the corner of his eye. The person was reaching for something...

In a flash, Tsukishima pulled out his hand gun and fired. After a brief pause, the man slumped over the edge of the building. Tsukishima smirked. 

Akaashi was pressing his earpiece. He nodded and murmured a few words. He then turned to Tsukishima, "They need backup. You think you got this?"

Tsukishima nodded, "Yamaguchi isn't too far away, I'll handle it," he nodded in return. He talked briefly to Yamaguchi through the earpiece. Tsukishima watched as Akaashi continued to go forward. Looks like some people were ganging up on the duo. 

Suddenly, something rustled. 

Tsukishima froze as he heard the sound. He clicked a fresh bullet into place. He scanned the area. Suddenly, a shot rang throughout the air. 

He looked up to see gang members jump down from the top of rooftops except for the one where the man was shot. Tsukishima's eyes went round and a round to see the circle of falling gang members surrounding him. 

"Shit!" 

* * *

Kuroo was frozen. 

When he looked to his left, a few feet away, there was one of the gang members of Snake Bite. The guy was bleeding, but it seemed like he knocked himself out after falling forward and hitting the edge. Surprisingly, the body didn’t topple over the edge.

It was a close call. He saw Kuroo and was ready to kill him! 

_"Shit!"_

Kuroo's head snapped towards the alley. He recognized that voice. 

It was the blond.

Kuroo slid his way over to the unconscious body. He searched for a hat or cap. 

Aha! Kuroo took the cap that was shoved into the guy's pocket. He quickly slipped it over his head and grabbed the rifle. Kuroo peaked over the edge and down into the alleyway.

The blond was fighting fiercely. He kicked, he punched- Kuroo held his head as he watched the blond headbutt someone- but there were too many. In the middle of a backspin kick, one of the gang member grabbed the blond leg and pulled him towards their direction. 

Kuroo held his chest this time as he watched the blond being kicked near the ribs. 

While Kuroo was torn on what to do, he knew one thing. As he stepped onto the edge of building while holding the rifle, he thought to himself.

 _"If anyone's going to complete my mission, it's going to be me!"_

Kuroo jumped off of the building. His blazer flew away with the wind. Kuroo grinned as he got closer to the gang members. 

Time to show these snakes who the real hunter is. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick, but here's a chapter :)


	12. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima is pissed at Kuroo's appearance, but something else appears as well...

Tsukishima was sweating. From all ends, he was surrounded by gang members. He saw glances of other gang members surrounding the car that Yamaguchi was in. Tsukishima couldn’t reach for his earpiece either.

Suddenly, Tsukishima heard a thud over the sounds of punches and kicks. Some of the gang members flew away. The gang members whipped their heads around to see who it was. Tsukishima thought it would be Akaashi or one of the older agents who where near by.

But then he saw the glimpse of a pair of rather familiar eyes. 

Tsukishima focused on his current situation and continued to pry gang members off of him. He punched and swung his fists more than even. From the corner of his eye, Tsukishima could see his hand gun that was knocked away near the beginning of the fight. Tsukishima dove for it after sweeping another gang member off of their feet. He managed to grab it. Tsukishima got up quickly and looked around himself.

The man fended off the last gang member. All around them were the bodies of limp and unconscious men. 

The two agents pointed their guns at each other. Tsukishima snickered, "Oh? We don't want something happening like last time."

The agent- Kuroo he recalled from what Daichi told them- rolled his eyes, "Please, don't pretend that you didn't go through something.'

Tsukishima walked towards Kuroo slowly, "Why are you here? This isn't your agencies regular territory."

Kuroo gazed around and was unfazed by Tsukishima approaching him. He walked towards a wall, still pointing his gun, and leaned against the brick wall. Tsukishima got closer and closer. Eventually Tsukishima was close enough to place the barrel on Kuroo.

He was still unfazed. Kuroo lowered his rifle, "Hm. What do you think you're going to do? Shoot me? And for what?"

Tsukishima scoffed, "You intervened with the mission." 

Kuroo looked straight into Tsukishima's eyes. He scoffed back. 

In an instant, Kuroo knocked away Tsukishima's gun. He spun around Tsukishima and push Tsukishima against the wall using his rifle. Kuroo smirked. Tsukishima looked aroun and his eyes widened. 

"You can't even defend yourself against this, " Kuroo sneered. Tsuksihima looked at him with a furious gaze. Kuroo started to lean closer to Tsukishima's ear. Tsukishima tried to lift his arms in defense, but the rifle pushed harder against him. Tsukishima froze as Kuroo whispered something. 

"You have potential in this field, but between you and me, you can't thrive unless you try harder. After all," Kuroo glanced at Tsukishima, "I saved your ass out here."

Kuroo dropped the rifle and pushed himself away from Tsukishima. Kuroo started to walk away as Tsukishima stood there. Kuroo looked back.

"This isn't the last time." 

With that Kuroo started to run out of the alleyways.

Tsukishima was boiling with rage. 

* * *

Tsukishima's gun clattered onto the table. Akaashi shook his head, "Tsukishima, don't throw down your weapon like that."

He hissed through his teeth, "That Nekodorani agent. He was there."

Akaashi looked up, "The one you shot?"

Tsukishima nodded as he ripped off his jacket in frustration, "He told me that my skills were lacking! Can you believe that?" he yelled. Tsukishima rolled up his sleeves and took off any pain relief patches he had on. 

"Well maybe there are some things we can improve on," Akaashi reassured him. Tsukishima rolled his eyes.

Effort? He didn't put in any effort? Wrong. If anything, his first few years in the agency was where he did the bare minimum. However...

He did lack a little in hands-on combat.

Tsukishima shook his head. He still had valuable skills. He knew how to kill a target, he knew how to track and take, he was good a hacking, he-

"What's that on your arm?" 

Tsukishima's train of thought broke as he looked towards Akaashi. He saw that Akaashi was pointing at Tsukishima's arm. Tsukishima looked down at his forearm.

"It can't be," Tsukishima muttered.

"It is," Akaashi said as he stared at it.

It was a black circle.

Tsukishima saw his soulmate mark.


	13. Ramen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Akaashi run into each other at 7-11

Akaashi had decided to go eat ramen.

As Akaashi walked down the empty sidewalks. It was dark outside- they did just comeback from a mission after all. The clouds scattered away and the moonlight had returned. Akaashi had left Tsukishima after what they discovered.

Tsukishima was dazed. He kept staring at his forearm and his eyebrows were crinkled. It seemed as if he was trying to recall all the people he touched before. Could it be one of the gang members? One of the agents from their agency?

Akaashi was staring at the mark as well. He couldn't help but to wonder...

Where was his? 

So here he is now, walking down the empty sidewalks and towards the nearest 7-11. Wondering about his own future past his agent career.

Akaashi turned into the corner 7-11. The jingle of the bell was a pleasant sound. He always went to 7-11 when he was feeling upset or when he needed to think about something. 

He headed for the onigri on the shelf and then picked out a bowl a instant ramen, along with a drink. 

He payed. He allowed his ramen to cook. Soon, he finally sat down on the counter tables near the windows. Akaashi sighed as he picked up the disposable chopsticks that were given to him at the register. He stirred the noodles, the steam puffing onto his face. The savory smell of his instant ramen wafted throughout the store. The hum of the lights buzzed in Akaashi's ears.

It was too quiet.

Akaashi sighed heavily again. He kept poking at his ramen. He kept thinking and wondering where or when will he find his. Where will his future lead to? Will he just be lonely... sitting here at a 7-11, eating microwaved food? Will he-

"Your noodles are going to get swollen and fall apart."

Akaashi didn't bother to look up, "I know. I'm just thinking about something," he said to whoever sat next to him.

"Eh? You should at least think and eat," the guy replied, "Your head could hurt after so much thinking."

"What would you know?" Akaashi questioned. He started to look up, "You don't even know-"

Akaashi dropped the chopsticks he was holding. His jaw dropped just a little bit, and a small gasp slipped out of his mouth. 

He was staring at Bokuto Koutarou.

Akaashi started to get up, knowing well that Daichi told them to avoid those agents. Tsukishima already ran into the other one, but if Daichi knew that they both ran into the very same agents... something might get started. Feuds between agencies never end well.

"Wait!" the agent- Bokuto- yelped, "Don't just leave your food here. If you don't want to talk then-"

Akaashi sat back down. He glanced at Bokuto, then motioned for him to back up. Bokuto tilted his head, but then he understood. He moved down a few chairs. Then a few more. Until...

He was as the end of the counter. Akaashi was at the other corner. Akaashi would have left, he would have already gone back to his apartment by now but...

His stomach rumbled.

Akaashi hadn't eaten anything. His fridge wasn't stocked with any snacks. Besides, there was perfectly good ramen and onigiri in front of him. It would be a waste to leave it there.

Maybe that would be the one thing him and that other agent could agree on. Don't waste food.

Akaashi slurped up the noodles. Occasionally, he'd glance towards the direction of Bokuto, where he was enjoying a late night ice cream. In the middle of fall. Akaashi shrugged the weird choice of food off of his mind. He just continued to eat until the bowl was empty. 

Akaashi could feel Bokuto's eyes on him. Akaashi just shoved his onigiri into the pocket of his jacket and left the store.

He could still feel Bokuto's eyes on him. He also heard footsteps behind him.

As he continued to walk down the sidewalk, Akaashi could still hear the soft sound of cautious footsteps following him. Akaashi sighed and stopped abruptly. He turned around to look at a surprised face. Bokuto backed up a little bit, his hands raised up ever so slightly.

"What do you want from me?" Akaashi asked, not budging a little bit. Bokuto shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a black wallet.

"You left this," he stuttered, "You must've dropped it while putting on your coat or something."

Akaashi stance relaxed. He carefully eyed the wallet, and then took it from Bokuto's hands. He opened it, making sure that his ID, license, and other important things were in the wallet. Sure enough, nothing was taken. 

"I didn't do anything to it or take anything or took any pictures, " Bokuto continued, "I'm not on work right now, I don't have to be doing any of that in this moment."

Akaashi looked up from his wallet to look at Bokuto. The guy was just wearing a leather jacket over a blue hoodie. He had dark blue jeans on with a pair of white sneakers. His hair was messy and his face was crumpled with a worried expression. 

This was just Bokuto Koutarou. Not Agent Koutarou or Agent Bokuto. Or whatever code name he had. 

It was just another human being.

Akaashi's whole body relaxed- even his eyes softened. Most agents weren't working this late, so he doubted that anyone from Nekodorani was out right now. Besides, if he was in danger, Akaashi could defend himself.

He thanked Bokuto and just continued to walk slowly.

Bokuto also walked five feet away from him. He had his hands in his pockets. Sometimes he'd look over to Akaashi. At some point, Bokuto spoke up.

"What were you thinking about in the store?" Bokuto asked, filled with curiosity. Akaashi glanced at him and sighed once more. He hesitated for a moment, but he knew that he couldn't bottle up his feelings. He also doubted that anyone would hear him out about this at the agency. Everyone was too busy. So, opening his mouth, Akaashi spoke back. 

"Soulmates," he answered, "I haven't found my soulmate." 

Akaashi continued to walk, his footsteps at one point matched with Bokuto's. Bokuto looked at Akaashi, "I have somewhat of a similar situation."

Bokuto paused before continuing, "I've met my soulmate by accident," he said through a strained smile, "I know who they are, but they don't know who I am. They haven't realized that I am their soulmate."

Akaashi looked at him in return, "That's...upsetting."

Bokuto laughed a little, "Bummer, I know! Someday though... I'll be able to have the courage to tell them that I am their soulmate," he said with a grin. He then looked up at the night sky, "And you'll be able to meet your soulmate too. It just takes time."

Akaashi looked up at the sky, the moon still bright as ever. A few stars were hanging within the skies.

It really does take time to find someone. Akaashi just hadn't put enough time into finding his soulmate. Akaashi smiled softly to himself.

Talking to Bokuto wasn't so bad. 

They soon arrived at the fork of the street. Akaashi gave a small wave to Bokuto. Bokuto nodded and walked into the left side of the intersection. Akaashi continued walked towards the right side.

By the time Akaashi arrived at his apartment, his worries were washed away for a while. And it was all because of small conversation and a 7-11. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to Tsukishima and his soulmate mark next chapter!


	14. Wonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The young ones of the Birds of Prey Agency hang out.

The low buzzing of the heat and the soft humming of music spread throughout the car. Tsukishima watched as other cars whizzed by them. The morning sun cracked through the towering buildings. Some autumn leaves started to fall off of the few trees around the city. A few people walked through the streets, chatting away on phones or hurriedly walking to their jobs. Tsukishima sighed softly. 

Then the whole car swerved. Tsukishima grunted as he held onto the passenger seat in front of him. He could hear Yachi yelp as they whipped around the corner.

"Who the hell let you drive?" Tsukishima half-yelled at the driver. Kageyama just stared into the rear view mirror with annoyed eyes.

"It's my car," Kageyama grumbled, "Besides no one forced you to come."

"Actually, I kind of made him," Yamaguchi politely pointed out. 

"The more the merrier right," Yachi joined in next to him, "It's one of the first times in a while we're all together after all," she continued with a smile. 

"Yeah!" Hinata agreed from the passenger seat, "It's pretty rare to get you stingy guys in the same place." 

Kageyama and Tsukishima just glared at Hinata. The little orange haired agent zipped his mouth shut after that. 

The group soon pulled into a comic book cafe. Tsukishima was told by Yamaguchi that it would just be the two of them, but it was too late to turn back to his apartment by the time he saw Kageyama and the others pull up in front of them. So he ended up here. It was one of the few days where they didn't have any missions, so Daichi allowed them to go out for the day. 

The group walked into the cafe. It was a quiet little place. There were rows of manga books in shelves or some stacked on tables. There was a little menu near the counter of the cafe, lists of snacks and drinks and their prices were on display. Yachi and Yamaguchi went to order some things. The others collected the books they wanted to read and sat down on the couches. Tsukishima sat down on the corner of the couch with a few books as well.

Yamaguchi and Yachi set down a few pork buns and some other little snacks, like chips and candy. Yachi handed out of few boxes of juice to everyone. 

Tsukishima saw Yamaguchi smiling at her. 

"You don't have to keep it that secretive," Tsukishima said with a slight smile, "Everyone already knows."

Yamaguchi looked up in surprise, "Eh? What do you me-"

"You and Yachi," Hinata hummed.

"Soulmates," Kageyama continued.

The two started to ramble frantically at the same time, trying to explain why they were hiding it or why they didn't tell anyone. It just ended with them laughing bashfully at each other. Tsukishima smirked a little, "So lover boy, how long exactly has it been?"

"Uhm... it's actually almost been since the first time we've shown up at the agency," Yamaguchi said as he poked his straw into the apple juice box. 

"We didn't start dating till last year though," Yachi said with a nervous smile, "We wanted to actually get to know each other and stuff..."

Tsukishima made a fake gagging sound, "You two already sound so sweet that it'll make me barf."

Yachi laughed a little, "A little bit!" she agreed, "But Tsukishima... didn't you say that you found your soulmate recently too?"

Tskushima picked up one of the steamed buns, "Yeah...and what of it?"

"You were bothered by it," Yamaguchi frowned, "Don't you want to talk about it?"

Tsukishima hesitated for a moment. Then he said, "It's not that important."

Suddenly, Hinata slammed his comic shut. He whipped his head around to look at Tsukishima. Tsukishima looked back at Hinata, his eyebrow starting to furrow in confusion, "Is there something you want to-"

"What do you mean not important?" Hinata asked, an eerie hint of seriousness in his voice, "How is it not important?"

Tsukishima clicked his tongue, "I don't even know who they are. And besides, they're probably annoyed at how much pain they're going through because of me. The pain that I go through because of them just adds onto to all the injuries I sustained. Why would they want to meet me? Why would I want to meet them?"

That was a lie. Tsukishima knew who it was... but he kept denying the truth.

Hinata rubbed the bottom of his chin, "Ah... you're lucky!" he sighed out, "I don't even know if my soulmate is alive!" 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kageyama asked, slightly curious from the conversation. 

"I think my soulmate doesn't get hurt or doesn't go out that much," Hinata sighed, "I feel the connection, but I can't feel their presence. They must be a very cautious and careful person, but I haven't met them either," he continued, "just like you!"

"Where are you going with this?" Tsukishima asked, becoming more and more annoyed. He didn't like to talk about soulmates...especially with these guys.

"What I mean is that you can't just give up like that," Hinata replied, "You know and you can feel that your soulmate is out there, in this city. Somewhere! Other people would kill just to even have their mark. Or to have the reassurance that their soulmate is out there, alive, because they can feel their pain."

Tsukishima sighed, "I guess, but this is for me to figure out, okay?" 

Hinata slumped over the couch in defeat. The others silently went back to reading and eating their snacks.

Tsukishima glanced at his soulmate mark, the black circle, on his forearm. It was the exact spot in which that agent had hit him when he encountered him during the gala. He rubbed it, for some reason expecting it to disappear. 

It stayed.

He sighed. What was the point? To keep up the long tradition and custom of soulmates? To find the perfect match?

Tsukishima didn't really get the concept of soulmates. In that moment, he saw the cover of a stray magazine on the table. A few words were written across the front page...

_"In the dictionary, soulmate signifies a person who is ideally suited for a partner or friend._

_In the a world full of people destined to be with one other, some would rather call it fate. Some leave it at the term soulmates. In the end, that person- that soulmate- will be the one who you'll rely on for the rest of your life."_

_**"Never miss out the opportunity to be with them."** _

Tsukishima thought about those lines for the rest of the day.

At a different time, on the outskirts of the city, Oikawa was sitting down, getting ready to listen on how Ushijima almost lost his soulmate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Yamayachi because they're cute :>


	15. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to three years ago....

Oikawa shifted uncomfortably in his seat. In front of him sat Ushijima Wakatoshi, his faithful crew of guards and members standing behind his seat. Glancing towards the left, Oikawa saw a bed, where Ushiwaka's partner was. The man was propped up in a sitting position, despite the fact that a wheelchair was right next to the bed, simply collecting dust.

"Now, why exactly didn't you leave this information along with your request?" Oikawa asked with a strained smile.

Despite Ushiwaka being a high paying client, Oikawa hated his guts. So high and mighty... and for what? It's not like his group has committed anything to be proud of. They were more of a civilized organization. Not like the yakzua or some no body gang. They were just some crime organization. 

One of the biggest in Tokyo. But still. Just another crime organization.

The Nekodorani agency worked for both sides- evil and good. This particular mission attacked one of their rival agencies, but it was never specified why. 

Ushiwaka looked directly at Oikawa, "I wouldn't be able to get the message through if we hadn't seen each other face to face," he stated.

Oikawa's eye twitched slightly, "And what message would that be?"

**"How Shibaru became paralyzed."**

* * *

**THREE YEARS AGO....**

They were all gathered in Ushijima's master room. All they were discussing was the current situation.

Another group, Inarizaki, took away one of their territories. Semi and Tendou were injured from the sudden attack on them when they were at the location, so they were resting at the guest rooms. All they were doing was planning on how to get back their land. That was all.

Of course, years of black money catch up. Years of illegal crimes catch up.

There was a sudden banging on the door downstairs. Ushijima swept away all of the maps and documents into the nearest compartments and securing them before running out to see what was going on. 

A bullet came out of no where. 

"End of the line for you and your group Wakatoshi!" yelled a brown hair person. Ushijima clicked his tongue as he saw the black blazers and guns.

Agents. Were they sent by Inarizaki? Or was it one of the agencies that were tracking them on orders from another rival? Or was it the once in a while police request?

Ushijima ducked back into the room, "Agents. They're here for us."

Reon, one of the most faithful and trusting people Ushijima knew, quickly pulled out any weapons that were hidden around, "We won't go down that easy."

Shirabu spoke up, "Tendou and Semi are on the second floor. They should have gotten out by now, but they could be struggling because of their injuries," he pointed out.

"We'll go for them first," Ushijima nodded, "But we have to make sure no one gets caught by these bastards."

Everyone grabbed a gun or weapon and nodded. Reon checked that they had anything important with them. Ushijima peeked out slightly from the door. He saw three agents standing near the top of the stairs. Their attention was directed away from them. Sounds came from the floor under them.

Tendou and Semi must've been putting on a fight.

They all rushed out, aiming their guns towards the agents. A few bullets were let loose, the agents whipping around to see the sudden amount of members coming out of the room. They must have thought it was just Ushijima.

Reon soon ran up ahead and pushed the agents down the stairs, going down with them. The other members followed behind Ushijima, soon following to help Reon. The brown haired agent grunted as he fought against Reon. Reon had knocked his hand gun away, but Reon lost his gun while falling down the stairs.

Ushijima trusted that Reon could win the fight.

He looked around, seeing that the youngest, Goshiki, was helping out Tendou to leave. Shirabu was leading Semi away after knocking down an agent. 

Ushijima plowed his way through the agents that were still standing. A few battled to persist, but Ushijima shoved them back down to the ground. As Ushijima ran down the stairs, he saw the members leave out the door.

Almost there. Just-

Suddenly, someone jumped into the first floor through a window. Ushijima was faced with a barrel of a gun. He moved away before anything was fired. The bullet barely whizzed by his ear.

A blond man stood tall a few feet away from him. Pieces of shattered glass from the window rested on his slightly torn blazer. He pointed his gun at Ushijima.

"Not today," the agent breathed out, "We're going to stop you."

Another agent came out of the kitchen, "That's right," he continued, "You have no where to go."

No matter where Ushijima would go, he'd still face the agents if they followed. Ushijima pulled out his gun.

"I'll take you both head on then!" he claimed.

Ushijima heard the backdoor open. He head footsteps running in. The agent who came in through the kitchen quickly ducked back into the kitchen. He could hear the two struggling in there.

"Wakatoshi! Go!" shouted the voice in the kitchen.

Shirabu .

Ushijima held his gun tighter as he started for the kitchen. The blond came up behind him, "Your opponent is right here!"

Ushijima whipped around to grab the agent before he could touch Ushijima. The agent grabbed onto Ushijima's arms as Ushijima threw him to the ground. The agent pulled himself up using Ushijima's arms, and he gave a hard blow to Ushijima's head. 

Ushijima grunted. It stung, but he could feel a blooming pain near his ribs. He heard Shirabu’s yells of frustration and anger. 

He stared at the agent who was getting up. Ushijima charged for him, tackling him down near the entrance of the kitchen. Ushijima watched as a black haired agent pinned Shirabu down. Ushijima proceeded to do the same with the blond agent. He pointed his gun to the top of the wriggling agent's head.

"Let him go," Ushijima growled, "Or your guy will get it."

The black hair agent stared at him with his ocean eyes, "You shoot him and I'll shoot this one," he said as his cocked his gun towards Shirabu. 

The two stared at each other intensely. No one made a move. Shirabu stared at him, his eyes trembling slightly. They looked furious.

Shirabu hated to lose.

Ushijima's palms started to sweat. He just wanted to re-adjust slightly...

The blond agent suddenly broke free. He twisted around to grab Ushijima's gun and forcefully took it. He aimed and he fired.

For the gas valve near the stove.

The gun was specialized for speed.... and from this distance it will definitely...

Explode.

A fire erupted from the kitchen. The agent who was in the kitchen quickly ran off site, while the blond agent shoved Ushijima aside and ran off. It was done out of desperation, it was done just to save his own life.

Shirabu.

Ushijima's eyes widened as he frantically looked for any sign of his partner. He started to call out his name....

Shirabu dragged himself out of the room. His skin was covered with burns, but he could still walk. Ushijima was quick to help Shibaru and he led him toward the door.

The fire started to spread. He heard the floor above him creek. When Ushijima looked up, he could see sparks falling down at the sides. It was moving too quickly. The fire was right behind them... it was too late to go back. There was still the window a few steps away. The fire above them started to increase...

Suddenly, Ushijima was pushed forward and outside of the window the agents came through. His hands scraped against the pieces of broken glass left. Ushijima was looking at Shirabu, who was still looking at the fire above. Ushijima reached out to him. 

The floor above collapsed. Shirabu disappeared beneath the burning floor after ducking donw. 

Ushijima felt his body burn. His lips quivered. 

Everything slowed down. He watched from the side as he saw Reon and Goshiki run back inside. The fire roared in front of him. Ushijima held his breath as he watched Leon and Goshiki drag out Shirabu’s body.

Ushijima staggered his way to him and fell beside him. He was covered with ashes and burn marks. His legs were crushed from the impact. Ushijima could feel a tear slip down his cheek. The pain was unbelievable. 

His legs started to tremble when he was on his knees. He looked over to the silver ring on Shirabu's hand. A layer of ash was over it. 

He brushed it away and held his hand. 

"You'll be okay," he whispered, "You have to be."

The ambulances soon pulled up. 

Ushijima sat numbly in the ambulance as he watched Shibaru being hooked up to machines.

That night would change their lives forever.

* * *

"When we got to the hospital, they managed to save him," Ushijima spoke quietly, "They just couldn't save his legs."

Oikawa stared blankly at Shirabu. Ushijima continued to talk about the trip to the hospital. He mentioned how Shirabu cried out and how he lost control of his emotions when they announced he was paralyzed.

Oikawa could practically hear the cries when he stared at Shirabu.

"That's why we haven't done that much as of recently," Ushijima continued, "We don't want that much trouble. We haven't done any large scale crimes... but this will be the first thing we've done in a while."

Oikawa looked at Ushijima's eyes.

Cold as stone.

"Revenge," Oikawa nodded along.

"Have your agents kill those two who caused Shirabu's despair," Ushijima spoke, his voice rumbling and laced with anger.

"Don't worry," Oikawa replied, "They'll get the job done sooner or later."

Kuroo and Bokuto were sentimental and sympathetic. On occasions they would connect with their important clients. Once this story gets told to them...

They won't refuse to shoot those two without hesitation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys are liking it so far ^^


	16. K.O

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little more passes. Kuroo is observing a target, but he didn't realize who the action would affect.

The autumn leaves started to fall in bigger amounts. A few rays of sunlight peeked through the trees that still had leaves. The crisp smell of coffee and fresh bread wafted from nearby cafes. A few food stands sold some little treats for the people who walked by. There were some dogs and their owners walking about.

Kuroo was sitting on a bench. He stretched out his legs, looking around at the autumn skies. Kuroo adjusted the beanie that laid on top of his head. He had an in-ear communicator in and his gaze was directed to somewhere else.

The Inarizaki Yakuza was another infamous organized crime group. Taking up territory in Southern Tokyo, the Inarizaki had started to move more towards the Northern parts of Tokyo.

The territories that the Shiratorizawa group held. 

With that in mind, Ushijima had also asked Oikawa to keep a close eye on Inarizaki.

Kuroo looked towards the area in which the chess tables were. There was one lone person, sitting there with the pieces ready to go. The man looked around and frequently looked at his watch. Kuroo doubted that he was that desperate to play chess.

The Inarizaki group had connections with members of Snake Bite. This time, the main leader of Snake Bite would be forced to come out. Kuroo knew that many of their members were locked up because of what the Birds of Prey Agency did. Their leader wasn't present though, which meant that he would come to Inarizaki if any deal was worth it.

Kuroo watched as a man approached the chess table. He sat down and the two started to play the game. He could hear what they were saying. Nekodorani had once observed them here too, so they knew that the chess table was a regular spot. There was a mini microphone under the table, recording what the two were talking about. 

Inarizaki's Miya Osamu and Snake Bite's Daishou Suguru. 

Kuroo could never stand cheeky people... he could just tell from the way they spoke. They were sly people.

"So... we're really doing this?" Daishou mentioned as he moved his rook piece. Kuroo saw Osamu nod.

"Don't you think that would frustrate him?" he calmly stated, "If we get to it first, he won't hold back on us."

Daishou hummed, "As long as we can start getting more territory," he looked up, "We have a deal that we get half of the land... remember?"

Osamu rubbed his chin, "You do the dirty work," he said as the game moved forward. Kuroo could see that Daishou's king was cornered, "And we'll do the rest," he moved a final piece, "Checkmate." 

Daishou got up, "It's a deal," he said with a smirk as he left the scene. Osamu paused for a moment, but soon left in the other direction. 

Kuroo took off his earpiece. He sat there, thinking deeply about the conversation. What could they've been talking about? 

His eyes widened suddenly. He tried to laugh it off.

"It couldn't be... could it?" he said as he fiddled with his beanie. He ran back what the two had talked about. He recalled all the situations the nearby gangs and organizations had. It can't be....

Kuroo knew where he would be tonight.

* * *

Tsukishima locked up the agency door behind him. Night had fallen, but Tsukishima stayed late to fill in the latest reports on his missions. 

It was dark and cloudy outside. The forecast didn't call for rain, but Tsukishima could see the light drizzle of rain. A few drops landed on his glasses, but he didn't bother to wiped them off. He pulled up the hood of his jacket over his head and started to walk.

Tsukishima hadn't felt much pain recently. Maybe that agent- Kuroo... wasn't being sent out as often. Perhaps something had happened to him. 

He rubbed his mark through his jacket. Tsukishima would wonder if the agent already knew. 

But why would that matter? He has no business with him. He's just another agent from another company. That's all-

Tsukishma heard a rustle.

His eyes snapped towards the rooftops. Nothing was in sight. He looked to his sides. Nothing. Tsukishima looked in front of him before he turned around.

Nothing.

Huh. He could have swore he heard something. Maybe it was a stray cat or dog lurking around.

"Or a snake," he heard an eerie voice whisper near his ear.

Tsukishima whipped around, seeing eye to eye with a pair of eyes. They were narrow and green. The man ran his lips over his snake bite piercings and smiled. It stretched across his face. Tsukishima's lip curled into a snarl.

"Now, now... there's no need to get defensive little one," the man said, waving his hand around playfully, "I'm not going to hurt you."

He looked directly at Tsukishima. His lips started to wobble as a laugh chuckle rumbled in his throat. He threw his head back and looked at Tsukishima once more, this time with his eyes wide open and wild. 

"He is!" the man suddenly grinned and laughed. It echoed throughout the streets. 

Tsukishima felt another eerie presence behind him. He was about to turn around...

But suddenly, a sharp blow slashed across his back. Tsukishima's legs buckled beneath him. His hands were scraped from hitting the concrete floor. He desperately searched for his taser that he carried for safety. He sighed.

He left it in the office. Tsukishima grunted as he tried to get up, he back aching and burning. 

A sudden weight pushed him down. Tsukishima wriggled as he felt his arms being pinned behind him. The person on top of him applied more pressure. It was getting hard to breathe....

Suddenly, Tsukishima was lifted back. The man who hit him grabbed him by his hair and pulled him back to face the other one. Tsukishima could see scratches on his lens. He struggled against the one holding him back.

This guy wasn't there when his teammates went against Snake Bite. Neither of them were... who-

He heard something being dragged against the concrete floor. That dreadful sound of metal scrapped against the floor. It was a familiar sound....

"Now then," the man grinned once more. He dragged the metal bat across to Tsukishima. He tried his best to push back and push away, but he was tired from the afternoon missions that were held outside of their territory. It was a long and tedious day at the agency. Tsukishima could feel his blood drain away and his body freeze.

"Lights out crow!"

He saw the man swing the bat. It came closer and closer....

Blackout. Knockout.

And Kuroo witnessed all of this from the rooftops as he curled into a ball...feeling the intense burn on the temple of his head.


	17. Basement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark, cold, damp.... the perfect place for a hostage or two.

_Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

Tsukishima's chest rose steadily. He had to keep calm and collected. He must. He had to keep it together. He continued to take in deep breaths. If he showed any signs of fear, they would try to provoke him even more. 

Was anyone there?

All Tsukishima saw was a void of black. They must've put a blindfold on him after they knocked him out- which he could still feel his head throbbing. His body was burning, but Tsukishima could feel his legs trembling against the legs of the chair he sat on.

It was cold and they stripped him of his jacket and footwear.

When he twisted his hands he could feel the harsh friction of metal. Handcuffs? 

Tsukishima clicked his tongue. He didn't have anything on his to pick lock it... if he had the chance that is.

It was so quiet.

Quiet enough for him to hear something else.

Tsukishima could hear the faint breathing of someone...

He also heard the door swing open...

_Click. Click. Click_

Footsteps echoed. Each step taken sounded light, but the clicking of heels made it seem like a heavy walk. Tsukishima could hear another pair of footsteps aside from the light steps. The clicking soon stopped, but Tsukishima didn't feel any sort of presence in front of him.

"This is amazing," the voice mocked, "Not one, but two high class agents with us!"

Tsukishima held his breath for a moment.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they brought in more," another voice chimed in, "but these two are the ones who could get us a huge win."

He could practically see the grin of the one who was talking.

"Ah," the voice continued, "he woke up."

Tsukishima's blindfold was suddenly ripped off. His eyes squinted automatically at the small amount of light in the basement. Everything was blurry. They took away his glasses. All he could see were blurs of faces, but he could make out some feature. He stared over to the other agent a distance away from him.

Akaashi.

Tsukishima could make out Akaashi's dark hair and the familiar sweater jacket he always wore after work hours. He could make out splashes of red on Akaashi's clothes and face.

His eyes wandered towards the two men standing in front of them. They resembled the two who attacked him- no...they were. Tsukishima saw the blurry shape of a bat slung behind one of them.

There was red on the end of the bat.

The man smirked, "Aye... should we wait till the others get here Daishou?

Ah. 

The leader of Snake Bite. That's who attacked him. Then... the other one must be his right hand man.

Daishou looked towards Akaashi, "Now, now... are we really going to give in that easily?"

The other man cocked his head to the side, "I thought you were actually serious," he gave a laugh. 

"It's a great opportunity to come across," Daishou drawled as he licked his lips. He tilted Akaashi head back, "Besides... we have the bait. Bird of Prey won't just sit around when they realize their top agents are missing. Nekodornai and Shiratorizawa will go into panic. When they realize it wasn't each others fault, they go after the next biggest threat. And what would that be, Hiroo?"

"Inarizaki," the one dubbed Hiroo replied.

"Bingo. If they all go into chaos, it'll be our chance to swoop in. Those big guys don't take us seriously... maybe on occasions, but after that roughing up by Birds of Prey, our people have been cut down," he smiled widely, "They'll never see it coming." 

Tsukishima shook his head slightly. They did realize that there were two agents in the room, right?

But he also wondered....

What business did they have with Inarizaki? He could understand the other agencies... but they have never made contact with the Inarizaki organization. Kageyama has, but he managed to deal with the person on his own.

Where did he and Akaashi come into play?

Tsukishima lifted his head up slightly. The two men directed their attention to him. Hiroo glanced at him for a moment before walking towards him, "You. One of the brains of Birds of Prey, eh?"

Tsukishima blinked unevenly. He felt drowsy from how much his head was pounding. Hiroo's hand reached out to push Tsukishima's head back down, "Don't think that you'll be going out so easily and saying this," his eyes darkened, "No matter how much you persist... we'll find a way to keep you down here."

Hiroo moved closer to Tsukishima's ear, "It'll never be the same for you anymore. You'll live your life in constant fear," he said as an eerie chuckle erupted, "You have all the biggest crime organizations after you!'

He moved away from Tsukishima. Tsukishima glanced up to look at Hiroo's face. His eyes were shaking from excitement and his grin stretched across his face. 

A cold breeze waved throughout the air.

"You're really digging yourself a grave!" he continued, "Ushijima wants your guys' heads on stakes, but we'll let you enjoy life for a few more moments... until we dispose of you ourselves," he grinned.

"Wow," Daishou laughed, "You really have Hiroo riled up... he's usually more calm and collected than this."

Tsukishima was frozen in his seat.

Shiratorizawa was after them.... was it because of the gala event?

Akaashi suddenly started to cough violently. Daishou, who was about to push his head down, was startled. Akaashi spat at Daishou, "Like we'll allow for that," he managed to whisper out.

"Ah... the sedative finally wore off," Hiroo returned to his calm state as he turned at Akaashi. Daishou wiped off the spit that landed on his face. 

His eyes were blank.

"Take them to their separate places," Daishou bluntly spoke as his face scrunched in disgust, "I'll deal with this one."

Daishou forced a blindfold back onto Akaashi, who tried to keep distance. Akaashi was dragged away and out of the room. 

Hiroo turned towards Tsukishima, "Like I said..."

A blindfold was wrapped around his eyes. The dark and damp cloth felt cold against his eyes. Tsukishima felt like the air continuously and ominously got colder and colder with every passing second. He could hear the muffled dragging of the bat. The chair jostled as Tsukishima could feel himself being pulled away. Hiroo whispered once more.

"You'll never leave this place."

Tsukishima's head started to swell. The pain from the hit before continued to attack his body. Drowsiness collapsed over his eyes and came in like waves throughout the other parts of him. He could feel himself fading away....

The door slammed shut. The cold and damp air was hanging throughout all the hallways. Eerie echos bounced off of the walls. Doors being shut one after another...and strange noises mixed in between were ominously being churned out. The worn down building was dark. There were people outside, just going about their everyday lives as the sun was starting to rise. They would glance towards the old building, looking at the sign showing that a new apartment complex was on its way.

No one questioned the echoes that came out of that place.


	18. Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A whole week has passed.  
> The search continues.

Daichi sat in the _Moonlight_ booth with a burden on his shoulders. He clasped his hands, his palms sweating and becoming red from the friction of rubbing them together. The ice in his drink had started to melt- the soda was diluted. Daichi tried to take his mind off things by cracking at the peanuts the diner always had. 

It's been a week since they've last saw Tsukishima and Akaashi. 

No one knew where they were. The security cameras around the area of the agency were cut off. None of the footage was able to be recovered. No one was in sight to testify as a witness.

He dreaded to think what could have happened.

Daichi cracked a peanut with his thumb. The doorbells jingled at the same time. He looked up to see Iwaizumi walk in and put away his coat. Daichi tensed up as he watched Iwaizumi walk towards him.

"Hey," Iwaizumi casually said as he sat down, "I thought we said we were going here on Friday? Is something wro-"

"Do you know what happened Iwaizumi?" Daichi said directly.

Iwaizumi's shoulders straightened from the sudden question, "What?"

"Tsukishima and Akaashi are missing," Daichi continued as he looked into Iwaizumi's eyes, "They've been gone for a week... and we suspect that someone took them."

Iwaizumi swallowed thickly.

"If you know something, please tell me," Daichi looked at him, reaching out to place his hand on top of Iwaizumi's.

Iwaizumi avoided eye contact, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Haijime."

Iwaizumi looked at Daichi. Daichi squeezed his hand, "Please."

"You know I can't tell you any of our mission plans," Iwaizumi frowned, "It goes against my agency rules... but I can certainly tell you that we have nothing to do with Tsukishima and Akaashi disappearing."

Daichi sighed, "You swear?"

"Promise."

Daichi squeezed his hand again, "I trust you, Hajime. I hope you're telling the truth."

Iwaizumi nodded, "It is."

Daichi released Iwaizumi's hand and sighed. 

Thank god.

Nekodorani didn't take them. That crossed out one of the many people who could've done this. Daichi was determined to find his agents.

On the other side of the booth, Iwaizumi's hand were shaking under the table. The two agents on their hit list had gone missing. Daichi didn't even know that they were on their hit list. 

Iwaizumi lied when he said that Tsukishima and Akaashi were no where close to being in one of their mission plans.

How long would this go on?

How long would it be until he knew the truth?

All he knew was that today wasn't the day. He still had time.

* * *

His shoulder jerked back every once in a while. He could hear the muffled ringing of bullets against the bulls-eye. Kuroo could feel the sweat dripping down his cheek. He had been here for hours, digging holes into that target. 

_He felt sharp pains in his head._

More ringing. The empty shells of bullets fell with a clink. The target was starting to fall apart. 

_His back was aching._

Kuroo unconsciously started to furrow his brow. He could feel his face becoming red as blood rushed up to his cheeks. He could see that his hand was starting to shaking. The bullet missed the target and hit the wall instead.

 _Everything_ _burned._

Kuroo slowly lowered his gun. He slipped the sound proof headphones off, but he could still hear a ringing in his ear. Kuroo made his way to a nearby chair and sat himself down. Everything in his body was aching or burning. It was like this for the past week. 

He wouldn't be surprised if he became numb.

Kuroo touched his face. It was burning from all the waves of shock his head was going through. His fingers trembled a little. One moment he would feel intense heat, but the next he would get chills. Kuroo looked towards the ceiling as a drop of sweat fell down his chin.

Birds of Prey didn't find Tsukishima yet.

He got up and walked out of the training room. As he walked down the halls, he felt a little dizzy. Everything seemed fuzzy. His hand trailed against the wall, just to make sure he could catch himself if he did fall. Kuroo turned into his personal office and opened the door.

Bokuto was sitting at the desk. He too was sweating. His face was flushed as well.

"Don't tell me," Kuroo mumbled, "Did they...?"

"Ha... I guess they did," Bokuto strained a smile, "I know you said that you saw Snake Bite take Tsukishima, so I'm pretty sure they would have taken Akaashi as well."

"They might be trying to do something," Kuroo thought as he sat across from Bokuto, "I know that Snake Bite made a deal with Inarizaki to take out those two agents, but there could be something more to this than just pissing off Shiratorizawa."

Bokuto nodded slightly and with slight hestation he said, "We should go get them."

Kuroo stared at Bokuto, "Bo... we're not in the right to take care of that. The Birds of Prey are probably searching for them. And wouldn't Oikawa be slightly happy about this? We haven't made a single move on them-"

"You really can be dull sometimes Kuroo," Bokuto said, bluntly intervening, "It is our mission. OUR mission. No matter where this goes, any one of these groups of people will get hurt in the end. Not to mention," he glanced down, "Look at our state. We're not doing so well because of the soulmate connection."

Kuroo knew what Bokuto really meant. He rubbed his mark for a moment. Bokuto did have a point- their conditions were starting to falter after the past week. If this went on for any longer, they would eventually feel what death would be like... or worse. This could go on for months or even years. And it was his soulmate... he did feel bad for what they're going through. Kuroo shook his head slightly- no. It was the right choice. They have to find them for the sake of the agency and themselves. 

"I understand," Kuroo sighed, "but we don't even know where they are."

Bokuto sat up, "We just have to follow someone to their base," his eyes glinted.

"And I know exactly the person for the job."


	19. Drip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sugawara Koushi and Oikawa Tooru meet unexpectedly when they find Snake Bites home base.  
> Two people are following one of them.

Oikawa looked down on his tracker. It's not like he doubted Kuroo and Bokuto, but Iwaizumi's words made him gain suspicion. He walked down the crowded sidewalks, shoving his hands back into his pockets. 

He heard Iwaizumi talking over the phone with someone the other day.

_"I know that they're missing, but I can't do anything about it," Iwaizumi sighed, "We didn't take those two, but I'm sure someone will be able to bring them back."_

Interestingly enough, Oikawa has realized that Iwaizumi was talking about the two agents that Kuroo and Bokuto were in charge of. He figured it out after he had read Kuroo's report on the Inarizaki and Snake Bite interacting one or two weeks ago. The two groups were working to get back or piss off Shiratorizawa.

Naturally, Oikawa saw it coming. He smiled to himself- this is why he is the head agent of Nekodorani and the connected agencies. He had managed to place a tracker in one of the suppliers of the gang. It was quite easy- when Oikawa was following the supplier, he saw the guy turning into a restaurant and hanging his coat on his chair. He left it unattended to go to the bathroom, so Oikawa took the chance to slip a tiny tracker on the inside of the coat. 

It could have been noticed, but he wouldn't know until he got to the location. 

The sidewalks were beginning to disperse. Oikawa stood to the side as he looked to where the tracker supposedly was. 

"An apartment complex?" he murmured to himself. He pulled out his phone to watch the tracker as it started to move. Oikawa glanced back to see who was coming out.

Sure enough, it was the same supplier. Oikawa shoved his hand back into his pocket. He was about to continue onward, but then he heard another voice. 

"Ah! I'm sorry..."

Oikawa looked back to see a man with gray hair bow politely to the supplier. The supplier just continued to walk on, but the gray haired fellow lingered in the front of the building. He pulled out a piece of paper and then looked back at the building once more. He glanced in Oikawa's general direction...

The man's eyes widened slightly.

Oikawa backed up slightly. He knew who that was....

In the blink of an eye, Oikawa was about to turn to leave when the gray haired man appeared in front of him. Oikawa stepped back a few more times, but the guy didn't budge from his spot. Oikawa looked at those brown eyes.

Normally, any other agent who saw him would immediately retreat, but this one stood his ground. Interesting.... it was refreshing to see someone stand against his presence. 

"Sugawara Koushi," Oikawa smirked a little, "what's a Bird of Prey agent doing around here?"

"Eh?" the agent muttered, "You're the one who's all up in our business," he said with a glare, "What are you doing lurking around Snake Bite?"

"Ha! They were in our fields before the decided to move locations," Oikawa retorted, "You should know how much the Nekoma agency despised them before they joined forces with Fukudorani to make the joint agency."

Sugawara gave a plain smile, "Oh? And Aoba Johsai couldn't stand Shiratorizawa and that's why such a powerful agency needed help from the outsiders? To bring that damned organization down once and for all?" he chuckled, "We have allies, but the fact that Shiratorizawa manged to make your agency run away... and now you work for them!"

Oikawa gave a strained smile, "Tactics, Mr. Refreshing, tactics," Oikawa looked up slightly, "At least we don't lose our agents to slimy criminals."

The air became heavy. 

Those brown eyes suddenly darkened and a shadow fell onto Sugawara's face. In a flash, Sugawara's hand gripped Oikawa's jacket.

Ah... The Birds of Prey agents. They cared too much for their agents. Too sentimental. Oikawa smirked down at Sugawara. 

"Now, now," Sugawara said quietly, "If any one of those agencies under you did something to anyone of our people," he looked up, his pupils shrunken, "You'll die by this hand."

Oikawa glanced down at the gloved hands that gripped at his jacket. He grabbed the hands forcefully and pulled it away from himself. Sugawara's body twitched at the sudden movement, but his face remained the same. Sugawara tried to pull his hand away, but Oikawa kept a steady grip.

"Try me," Oikawa quietly said, "You've lost a lot to us before... do you really think you can take us down?"

"We didn't lose anyone or anything," Sugawara hissed out, "Injuries, sure. A client or two? Perhaps... but all of our agents would rather die on the fields rather than the hands of your agents."

Sugawara yanked his hand away from Oikawa's grip, but Oikawa held on to the glove. The glove slipped off of Sugawara's hand and rested in Oikawa's hand. 

"We don't want trouble," Sugawara continued, "So stay away from the Snake Bite case and keep your hands off of our agents."

Oikawa watched as the agent brushed past him. He held his hand, feeling a sore and tingling sensation. Oikawa was looking down to see Sugawara's hands. The one without the glove hanged loosely by his side. His soulmate mark rested there as well, but Sugawara shoved his hand into his jean pocket before Oikawa could make out what it was.

Oikawa glanced back at the building where the Snake Bite gang hid.

"He said stay away from Snake bite," Oikawa murmured, "Ask and you shall receive."

If the two agents really were held hostage by Snake Bite, Birds of Prey were already close to getting them back. They must've sent out that agent to find Snake Bite- and even if it didn't have to do with the two agents missing, they eventually would have found Snake Bite's true location.

But if those agents die in there, it would cause trouble for everyone.

And by everyone, he meant some of the biggest agencies and crime organizations in Tokyo.

All eyes were on the two agents who are worth more than what Birds of Prey thinks so.

* * *

Nightfall.

Bokuto and Kuroo roamed throughout the shadows of the buildings. It wasn't raining, but it was more of a light drizzle. The small droplets made no sound against the pavement. Kuroo looked up at the apartment complex before them, the light drops of rain tapping on his face.

"You don't think Birds of Prey might be here too?" Kuroo murmured, "Oikawa did run into one of their agents after all..."

Bokuto shook his head, "If Snake Bite is smart enough, their supplier would have recognized the agent. Which would mean that Birds of Prey wouldn't return here on the same day."

Kuroo nodded, "You really got all of this down," he said to Bokuto with a smile.

Bokuto grinned in return, "There's a reason why I'm one of the tops agents out there."

Bokuto proceeded to relay the map layout of the building. When Snake Bite entered through the building in the daylight, they often entered through a door or window in the back to go unnoticed. That way, they wouldn't have to go through the front, but they could exit through the front if they were in disguise. However, they just preferred to go from the back. At least, that's what Bokuto had picked up from staking out near the building all day. 

Kuroo and Bokuto made their way to the very back of the building. When the got closer to the building, they could see a single window. 

Kuroo got closer to the window. He took a peak inside, but it was too dark to see anything.

"It's risky," Kuroo whispered. Bokuto just gestured to the window. He wanted to get in there.

With caution, Kuroo lifted the window. It slid up, the rain causing it to make a slight noise.

They braced themselves for a moment. Everything was silent except for the dripping of leaking pipe inside.

No one came.

Kuroo slid through the window, lightly landing on his feet. Bokuto followed behind him. 

The basement was cold. There was an eerie sound ringing throughout the halls outside. Something unsettling hung within the air. Bokuto flashed his phone light in the room. There was nothing in the basement.

Or so they thought.

In the very corner, there was a chair. It was old and rickety. Bokuto got a little closer while Kuroo looked around for anyone coming.

Kuroo glanced to see Bokuto pick up some frayed rope. It was red and tainted with blood. Kuroo could see Bokuto's shoulders tensing up in anger. Kuroo simply shook his head his disgust. Who knew that Snake Bite would go this far....

Bokuto headed for the door that led to the hallways. Kuroo was about to tell him to stop, but Bokuto opened the door with no hesitation.

The eerie sound became louder. And the dripping of water echoed throughout the hallways. There was a lingering smell of iron. 

Kuroo's hair stood up at the faint sound of a scream. Bokuto winced at another shrill sound.

This was going to be harder than expected. 


	20. Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima hears the arrival of someone.  
> Akaashi is hanging on by a few threads.

Black dots spotted his vision. His eyes went into focus and then out again. He sluggishly lifted his head up, the light looking dimmer than ever. Akaashi looked at his clothes, a few holes appearing within his favorite sweater. There were faded tints of red on his shirt, and Akaashi could still feel dry blood on his skin. The old chair creeked beneath him.

 _"It hurts,"_ Akaashi thought to himself as his head swelled. The night of his abducting, Akaashi was at home. He stayed up late to finish some work, just to fill out some forms to turn in the next day. The next thing he knew, someone broke in through his balcony and attacked him. 

A bat was their weapon of choice. 

He went under and then woke up in a basement, facing a fuzzy view of Tsukishima and those Snake Bite members. He tried to show no fear, but that ended up keeping them in isolation. Akaashi was in a different room, and from what he heard, it was far away from where Tsukishima was.

There were days he was beat for talking back or just because the gang members were bored. They had resentment towards him for spitting on their leader. There were days when Akaashi sat in the empty room in silence. 

Sometimes the silence drove him crazy.

But there were always muffled shrills around the building. The sound of someone or something screaming or the violent rumbles of people running around. There were the sounds of bats and guns being played with. Sometimes he could hear the laughter of Daishou.

The loudness would always tip him over the edge.

Akaashi was used to loud noises, he was used to such violence and such sounds. For some reason, Akaashi couldn't bear this.

It was the first time something like this had happened in the agency anyway.

It was just constant ringing in his ears. Back and forth. Back and forth. What day was it? Has it been long or did two days pass? Was time just dragging itself out to make this seem like it'll never end?

Was Tsukishima okay? Were they going to attack the other agents as well?

Akaashi's head spun with all the thoughts and swelling pain. He closed his eyes again.

He hoped that someone would find them eventually.

* * *

Tsukishima heard footsteps.

He dropped his hands away from the rope and returned to his normal state on the chair. He originally had handcuffs on, but Snake Bite decided to tie him in ropes now that he was in isolation. For the past couple of days, Tsukishima had been working on the ropes and had been trying to get them off. He could feel the burning on his wrists, but he kept trying despite any pain he felt. Tsukishima had managed to wither away some rope on his wrists, so he was able to move them a little bit more. Of course, most of it was still tied, but it was progress.

Tsukishima looked down at himself. He could barely see anything with the flickering lights.There were dried spots with blood, but that was from the blow he took to his head. Tsukishima knew very well that he probably had some fractured bones and a variety of bruises. 

He wondered how Akaashi was doing....

Tsukishima looked up as the door swung open. Daishou and Hiroo stood in front of him. 

Hiroo had a gun in his hand.

"Ha... it's been a while since we visited you," Daishou smirked as he stuck out his tongue, "We don't bother you as much as we bother your friend,"

Tsukishima gave a small laugh, but his face quickly returned to a cold state, "Don't bother him too much. You'll never know what he'll do."

Hiroo rolled his eyes, "He can barely move anymore."

Tsukishima held back his tongue. He shouldn't try to provoke them any further. If they did try to do something to him, they could discover his progress on the ropes. Not to mention....

He felt like if he took one more blow, he wouldn't survive it.

"Today is the day," Daishou happily stated, "I would rather drag this out, but we had a little.... mishap come in our direction," he glared at Tsukishima, "They must've missed you so dearly..."

It took a moment for the words to sink in.

Someone was looking for them.... one of the agents came to look for them.

HIroo spun the gun by the trigger with his index finger, "Your friend is going to meet his end soon," the corner his lips quirked up slightly, "he won't last with those wounds. You on the other hand....."

The gun stopped spinning. Hiroo positioned it to point directly at him. The bullet was clicked into place. Hiroo moved closer to Tsukishima, placing the barrel against his forehead.

"You need a little bit of help to say goodnight," he whispered, a chuckle creeping out.

Tsukishima closed his eyes, trying to move a silently as possible. If he could just take the rest of the rope off using the chair, he could get out and save himself ad Akaashi from this.

Why was this happening? Where did they go wrong? Gangs usually have too much pride in themselves to go against the agents. Why now?

Tsukishima looked at Hiroo in the eyes. For a moment he glanced towards Daishou, who was leaning against the wall. He kept pulling slightly on the ropes on his wrists, but they wouldn't loosen that much. Hiroo's finger started to move against the trigger....

Suddenly, the lights flickered out in the hallway. Then the lights in the room flickered out.

The door slammed shut.

Tsukishima continued to work on the ropes, just a little bit faster. He felt some of the ropes slipping away. The barrel was still pressed against his forehead, but Tsukishima could sense their panic.

He also sense the presence of someone else. 

The barrel was shoved away from Tsukishima's forehead. He heard a strong blow and the thud of a body on the ground. It must have been Hiroo. He heard an angry snarl out of Daishou. Tsukishima could hear the familiar sounds of fist contacting with flesh. 

The ropes fell away from Tsukishima's wrists. His body ached, but Tsukishima continued towards the rope on his ankles. 

The lights flickered on for a moment. Tsukishima glanced up for a split second.

And he saw someone he didn't expect.

His arms were burning and he could feel his body heating up from pain. It wasn't just his own though....

Tsukishima was staring at Kuroo, who had the infamous Daishou Suguru pinned against the wall.

Kuroo glanced at Tsukishima, a slight grin plastered on his face.

"Long time no see, Tsukishima." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stay safe guys!


	21. Moonlight Downpour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rain pours on, but the skies start to clear.  
> Bokuto and Kuroo's feelings are getting mixed up.

Kuroo released the breath he held. 

He had managed to find his way through the halls. Snake Bite must've been confident in their hiding location, so they didn't bother to dwindle down the noise. Bokuto had gone upstairs to check, while Kuroo was in charge of this area. There weren't many guards on site. Snake Bite was being careless and care free. They didn't held back on their volume or had anything to keep an intruders on check.

And he realized why.

When Kuroo heard what Daishou was about to do, he realized it. They were going to dispose of them before anyone else found them. He remembered that Bokuto found Oikawa and that agent from Birds of Prey together. Snake Bite must have thought that one of them would come for the two agents, so rather than having a bunch of guards, it would be easier to eliminate the abducted. 

He looked for a way to get in without being an obvious target when he saw a flickering light from a room. He could hear the mumbling of Daishou and Hiroo, but he didn't hear which agent was inside. Kuroo wasn't getting near the door since it was still open, so he stood on the other end of the hallway. Kuroo looked around and saw the main electricity current near the exit. 

Perfect.

There were some shards of beer and liquor bottles in the corner. Kuroo carefully picked one up as he quietly opened the box. He just had to cut out the power, but some boxes varied from wires to switches. 

Thankfully they were switches. Kuroo gently placed the shard back down.

Then he pulled the switch down and turned off the dim lights. The moment the darkness engulfed him, he moved towards the room before the light flickered out completely.

He got in the second after the lights turned off and he shut the door. Kuroo's eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness and he could make out the bodies around him. He could see Hiroo....

Who was pointing a gun to Tsukishima's head.

Kuroo immediately lunged for Hiroo, batting away the gun and then hitting Hiroo's back with a hard blow from his elbow. He heard Tsukishima rustling around. A small grin twitched at the corner of his lips. He was already looking to get out.

Daishou didn't want that to happen though. Kuroo felt Daishou's weight being thrown on him. 

" _Ah, it's been a while since I fought this slimy bastard,"_ Kuroo thought to himself as he pushed against Daishou. 

Daishou clicked his tongue as Kuroo punched him in the gut. Kuroo blocked as many hits as he could, but a couple of Daishou's punches landed on his face and arms. He just hoped he wouldn't get hit in the ribs. Knowing Snake Bite, they would have definitely gone for the head or the ribs when taking out the two Birds of Prey agents.

Kuroo managed to get a hold of himself and he shoved Daishou to the nearest wall. He quickly grabbed Daishou's wrists as he turned him around to pin him against the wall. Daishou was breathing heavily, but Kuroo could hear a slight chuckle between those gasps of air.

The lights flickered on for a moment. Someone must've tried to turn on the electricity. Kuroo's eyes widened for a moment, but he immediately checked on the one who made them come here.

Tsukishima was looking up, his hands around the rope that tied his ankles down. The blonde's eyes would squint slightly and then open up again. He didn't have his glasses on. Kuroo could see the dried up blood and old bruises on the pale skin.

He was safe. Despite all the injuries, he was alive and breathing. That was the reason they came here. Bring them out alive for the better of the two agencies and themselves... but Kuroo truly felt relieved to see the agent okay for a moment. 

Kuroo gave a small sigh and then a grin appeared on his face. 

"Long time no see, Tsukishima," Kuroo grinned as the blonde's eyes started to widen in confusion.

Daishou laughed a little, "Kuroo! I didn't expect you to come to save this sorry soul," he angrily commented.

Kuroo used one of his hands to grab Daishou's hair. He pulled the gang leader's head back, "Unless you want me to bash your head into that wall in front of you, it would be best for you to shut up."

Daishou winced, but a smile was still spread across from ear to ear, "You forgot about someone, didn't you?"

Kuroo whipped his head around to look at Hiroo, who had gotten back up and lunged for Kuroo. 

"Two against one?!" Kuroo yelled out, "Now that's the old snake behavior I've known!"

Kuroo slammed Daishou's head against the wall before Hiroo could reach him. Kuroo's attention was now on Hiroo as he watched Daishou slide down the wall from the corner of his eye. Kuroo pulled his arm back, ready to start swinging.

A loud crack suddenly rung out. Hiroo fell down, a few splinters of wood sticking to his blazer. Kuroo glanced up after he saw Hiroo hit the ground. He gave a small laugh despite his body starting to heat up from pain.

Tsukishima stood there with half of a broken chair. He breathed heavily as he dropped the chair and held his own waist. His eyes were unwavering as he looked towards Kuroo.

"What-" Tsukishima grunted out, wincing slightly, "what are you doing-"

Tsukishima's legs wobbled under him. Kuroo moved towards Tsukishima to support him. He reached out to grab Tsukishima's arm, but the blonde moved away. Kuroo gave out a heavy sigh, "Would you rather crawl out of this joint?"

The blonde sighed in annoyance as Kuroo grabbed Tsukishma's arm and draped it over his shoulder. Kuroo led the blond out of the room, glancing back at Daishou and Hiroo who were knocked out on the floor.

Kuroo felt a sharp pain in his rib cage. He grunted and looked towards Tsukishima, "We should probably take care of your injuries," Kuroo mumbled. Tsukishima was about to nod, but his head went down and didn't come back up. His body became heavier. 

"Great!" he said into the open, "Now you're out. Wonderful," he sighed as he took a moment to hoist Tsukishima onto his back. 

Yes he was safe, yes he was okay, but a part of Kuroo was still thinking about the mission he had. His head stung, but Kuroo couldn't tell if it was because of Tsukishima or because of his own emotions...towards his target Tsukishima. 

He sighed as he went out the door and into the rain. He only hoped that Bokuto got out just as quickly as he did. 

* * *

This was bad.

Bokuto watched as the youngest member of Snake Bite, Kuguri, held Akaashi in his arms. Akaashi breathing was shallow, but only his chest rose up and down. Nothing else moved. Kuguri looked towards Bokuto, an empty syringe in his hand. 

"He really won't last after this," Kuguri whispered out, a smile appearing. He motioned to the syringe, "We thought we'd let him go nicely in his sleep... we aren't that heartless," he said as he laid Akaashi on the floor. 

Bokuto ran into some members on his way here. He would have been on time to stop this if it weren't for those guys.

No problem. He'll just have to work a little bit harder.

Bokuto dashed for Kuguri. He full on tackled Kuguri before the young one could react. Bokuto felt a surge of anger burst through him. He jabbed his chest with his elbow and followed through with sharp but heavy blows. Bokuto could see Kuguri taking in a gasp of air. He gave a final blow to Kuguri's nose, hearing the crack of his bone.

"Ouch!" he said, "Maybe that was a little too hard," he pouted as he looked down at Kuguri. Bokuto stood back up, a few drops of blood on his knuckles. Kuguri laid on the floor in shock. It would be hard to breathe through that nose.

His anger started to dwindle down as he looked towards Akaashi. He was still breathing.

Bokuto was quick to run towards Akaashi and scoop him up. Bokuto ran out of the joint as fast as he could. 

Sure, he was always quick to turn a bad situation into something good, but this could definitely get worse. He ran down the stairs, making sure not to jostle the agent around in case there were any other injuries. Bokuto looked down at the stained clothes. Of course there would be injuries... why else would Bokuto feel such pain in his head?

Bokuto ran out the door being met with heavy rain. He put his hand over Akaashi's face, even though it didn't provide much coverage, but he couldn't afford to put the agent down to take off his jacket. That would have to wait. 

He saw Kuroo waiting on the side of the building. Bokuto gave a quick nod and ran past Kuroo. They had to get to some place dry and with medications fast. Kuroo seemed to notice as well. Bokuto could hear his heavy footsteps against the puddles of rain.

The moonlight started to breakout from the clouds, but the rain continued to beat down on them. Who knew if Snake Bite would be in pursuit, but in the moment, they threw out their other worries. The ran through the moonlight rain with their unconscious soulmates on them. Big droplets of rain splashed on their faces. Puddles would burst from their heavy steps and soak their pants.

Despite being able to let the two agents die, like their mission proposed, Bokuto and Kuroo did the complete opposite.

They wanted to save their targets... no. In the moment, they wanted to save their soulmates. 


	22. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's still some risks, but the abducted agents are safe.

_Clang...clang...clang..._

_The ringing wouldn't stop. It echoed all throughout his brain. When he opened his eyes, he could only see the cement walls around him. There were snakes slithering around the floor. Akaashi started to break a sweat as a snake slithered up his arm._

_Clang...clang... clang..._

_The world around him was black with the occasional flash of white. Along with the clanging, the sound of a bat was being dragged around. Akaashi started to breathe heavily and he reached to cover his ears. The snakes started to wrap around his neck and tighten. His hands shook against his head. He could barely get any air..._

_Clang..clang.. clang!_

Akaashi gasped into reality. He sat up in the bed, a jolt of pain going through him and causing him to wince. He looked around wildly, realizing that he was in an unfamiliar place. The walls had one or two music records and some led lights. There was a chair in the corner and some drawers as well. Akaashi looked down at the bed, a blue plaid comforter on him. When he looked to his left he saw...

A dog?

Akaashi's tension started to ease away as he saw a black chow chow wagging its tail. The dog got its paws up on the bed and started to sniff Akaashi's hand. Akaashi started to tilt his head, a little confused by this whole situation. He patted the dog's head, which earned him a happy bark. Akaashi looked up as he heard the door knob turn, his alertness starting to go up again.

It went down once more after he saw Bokuto walk in with a glass of water and a first aid kit. A small shiba inu trotted behind him. Bokuto looked at the black chow chow, "Boba! You're in the wrong house! How did you even get here?"

Boba backed down and happily went out the door. The shiba made it's way to the bed and jumped on top of the bed, making itself at home. Bokuto put down the glass of water and first aid on the nightstand where Boba was before he left. 

"Sorry about the dogs," Bokuto smiled, "I guess I left the door to the basement open and he got out."

Akaashi looked at Bokuto, "He's not yours?"

Bokuto waved his hand around, "Boba belongs to Kuroo- oh!" he suddenly exclaimed, "Sorry, I didn't even say where you are."

He sat down next to the dog and spread his arms open, "Welcome to our home! Kuroo and I live together. It's a two floor apartment building and I live on the top floor while Kuroo is in the basement. It's pretty roomy and not bad of a price."

Akaashi looked around once more, "Where..?"

"It's pretty far from the actual city," Bokuto said as he scratched the dogs head, "We have other places in the city, but those are more of a temporary home. This is the real deal."

"Not holding back with the money huh?" Akaashi jokingly said.

"Well... good pay for this dirty work?" Bokuto said with a small grin.

Akaashi laughed a little, but he quickly stopped as he felt a pain in his ribs. His hand flew to his chest as he tried to calm himself down. It was only then when he noticed an IV line on his right hand.

"That," Bokuto started to explain, "Is going to help you for a while. You blacked out for a while because of a poisoning they injected in you while you were asleep. Also your injuries were quite severe..."

Bokuto continued to list on some things. Broken ribs, internal bleeding, and the bigger concern... a concussion. 

"We took you to one of our private doctors to help fix you up," Bokuto ended with a nod, "We have to watch your recovery before you can go back out."

Akaashi's eyebrows crumpled up, "Why didn't you drop me off at my home or at the agency?"

"First of all, I have no idea where you live... I took the other route last time to get to the bus stop, remember?" Bokuto recalled, "And.... they're circling the area."

"No. Did they follow you?" Akaashi started to worry.

Bokuto shook his head, "We lost them, but Snake Bite still has your location and the agencies schedule. They're really out to get you and Tsukishima back." 

Akaashi slumped against the bed. How much longer would this go on? They could eventually hurt the other agents around and he didn't want that to happen. Everyone must be worried and anxiety ridden for the past few days. He sighed in frustration. Akaashi looked towards the dog that laid at his feet. 

At least for this period of time, he would have to focus on his recovery in order to get back as soon as possible. Maybe it could be the only time where he actually isn't hearing gunshots if they don't find him. Akaashi just focused on what was in front of him now since he would be at this house for a while...

"So... what's the name of your dog?" 

* * *

Meanwhile, Kuroo was being dragged by Tsukishima's leg as the blond tried to leave the room.

"Tsukishima you stubborn prick!" Kuroo started as he raised his voice, "You better get back in that bed or so help me!"

Tsukishima scoffed, "I'm not going to stay here. I am going back to finish them off!"

Kuroo grunted, "C'mon, we both know that without that gun or a weapon you wouldn't take them head on," he tried to make himself convincing, "I can help you train on hand to hand combat! If you can take their weapons out with your sheer force, you'll be unstoppable-"

The blonde stopped in his tracks, "I know you have more experience, but really Kuroo, you don't have to try to make yourself look better by helping a rookie," he ended it with a smirk.

Kuroo sighed heavily and let go of the blond, "Okay. Okay," he quietly said, "But if you fall down the moment you step out that door, it's not my fault... you know very well you shouldn't be doing so much especially in that condition."

Kuroo stood up, not backing down for his tall stance as he looked at Tsukishima. The blond, most likely keeping his guard up, backed up a bit as Kuroo spoke up, "I know we have a hatred for each other and our agencies, but I don't want an agents death on my record."

Tsukishima huffed and grabbed his rib cage. Kuroo knew that his condition wasn't as severe as Akaashi's was, but those few broken ribs and loss of blood still did a number on him. No concussion since he wasn't beat as much as the other agent was in the head, but the broken bones would still take some time. The blonde also knew the current situation that was going on with Snake Bite... he wouldn't risk his agent friends like that. 

"Okay," Tsukishima hesitantly said, "I'll stay... on one condition."

Kuroo raised his eyebrow, "Shoot."

"Don't tempt me," Tsukishima muttered, but then spoke up once more, "Get my glasses from my place."

Kuroo forgot about that, but Tsukishima was straining his eyes a lot, "Give me the address-"

Wait. Was this a trick to get him out so that he could leave? Kuroo pressed his lips in a thin line, "Give the address and I'll send over someone to get them," he put his hands up in defense, "Don't worry, I'll give an excuse and he wouldn't harm a thing."

Tsukishima's shoulders slumped, "Fine."

With the address in his hand, Kuroo left them room and dialed a number on his phone. Right now, a speedy recovery was the priority for Tsukishima to get back out there. So, if they could just tolerate each other for a while, there wouldn't be much trouble for the both of them. The person was on the line after a few rings.

"Hey Kenma! I need you to do a favor for me..."


	23. Calico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma goes to Tsukishima's apartment, but he runs into someone after leaving the place.

Kenma look at the numbers on the elevator and pressed the button that led to the fourth floor. He shuffled into the corner of the elevator and waited for it to reach his destination. It wasn't odd for Kuroo to ask him to do favors, but this one was kind of strange.

Kuroo said that his soulmate had to leave the apartment they lived in, but that they weren't given much time to move out. Kuroo wanted to go, but his soulmate was emotionally unstable with all the chaos going on, so he asked Kenma to go for a couple of things- well it was one thing at first, but apparently his soulmate asked for a few other essentials.

Kuroo usually avoided any soulmate talk with Kenma, so this was the first he ever talked about it.

The elevator gave a small ding and the doors opened. Kenma made his way to apartment number five. He looked to the ground and lifted the doormat, finding the spare key that he was told would be there. Kenma picked it up and opened the door. 

It was a clean apartment and it was modern looking. The walls were painted a neutral beige color and there was a painting or two on the wall. A few movie posters were also hanged on the walls. There was also a hanger, a few coats and light jackets lined up as well as a worn out backpack. Kenma took the green backpack and went further into the apartment. there was a small kitchen and a fairly well sized living room- for an apartment. Kenma turned into the small hallway to look for the bedroom. He went to the room furthest down the hallway and opened the door. 

Sure enough, it was the bedroom. There was just a few things: a bed, a wardrobe, a desk with a chair, and a nightstand. There was also another drawer and a comfy chair in the corner

On the nightstand, there was a box for glasses. Kenma reached for it and opened it. There were glasses with a black frame in it. He took it and placed it in the side pocket of the backpack. 

Kenma continued to pick out a few things. He grabbed a journal, headphones, and a sleeping mask. When he looked into the wardrobe, he grabbed a few shirts and then grabbed two or three pants, as well as a set of pajamas- undergarments as well. The backpack was almost full. 

Kenma had also noticed that Kuroo's soulmate was a guy after he saw the clothes and undergarments. He had a small insight on what Kuroo's soulmate could be like after seeing some dinosaur figurines. 

After going to the bathroom to grab the toiletries, Kenma zipped the packed backpack and was about to leave. He looked around one last time, but then he noticed something in the kitchen.

There were two bowls. On the floor. 

Kenma looked around again and spotted something he hadn't seen. 

On the window sill behind the couch, there was a calico cat sitting. The cat looked at Kenma, gave a small meow, and then leaped down from the window sill. The calico's paws made a soft sound as it walked across to Kenma. 

Kenma pulled out his phone and sent a text to Kuroo.

**_To: Kuroo_ **

_There's a cat here._

Kenma decided to sit down for a bit while he waited for Kuroo to respond. The calico leaped onto the couch once more and sat down next to Kenma. 

"Hm," Kenma said quietly to the cat, "Is your owner going to be good to Kuroo?"

The cat licked itself and its ear flapped a little. Kenma nodded in agreement, "Interesting. He's a decent guy... but is that because he feeds you?"

The cat meowed. Kenma nodded once more, "Of course. Food is always the key to a someone's heart," he pushed his hair behind his ear, "Do you have a soulmate too little calico?"

The calico gave a small sneeze, stood up and shook itself, a few dust particles and fur flying in the air. Kenma sighed, "Ah... you're just like me."

Well, Kenma did have a soulmate, but he never got his mark. He could always feel so much of the pain that his soulmate went through. Kenma rarely got hurt. Maybe he stubbed his toe or bumped his head a few times, but Kenma's job didn't require as much movement or action as Kuroo or Bokuto's jobs had. 

Kenma was a hacker and control center. He was the main lead for anything to do with breaking and entering or give out orders through the headset. He would solve passwords, deactivate security systems, lead the agents through a floor plan, and so on. Kenma sat in the technology room almost all the time. He wouldn't be surprised if he had to get glasses eventually from all the time he spends in front of screens. 

So he rarely got hurt. His soulmate probably felt minimum pain. 

Kenma's phone buzzed. 

_**From: Kuroo** _

_Can you bring her as well? Pls :)))_

Kenma looked at the cat, who he now knew was a girl, "Looks like you're coming with me. You'll get to see your owner again."

He didn't know whether he should pickup the cat or not. She was now sitting in her bed. His eyes widened slightly as he got an idea. Slowly, Kenma went to her and carefully picked up the bed she was in. The calico stayed put as Kenma carried her. He smiled to himself and made his way to the door. Kenma was about to attempt to open the door, but to his surprise it swung open.

Kenma's heart rate spiked up as he met eyes with someone.

"Who are you?!" the small man yelled in shock, "I came here to check something... but no one was supposed to be here!" 

He wasn't tall, but he wasn't the average size either. Kenma started at the bright orange head that bounced around as the man tried to peer through the apartment. The brown eyes looked at him with curiosity and caution. Kenma started to break a sweat. 

"Oh... uhm," Kenma stuttered, "I'm a friend of the person who lives here..."

The man narrowed his eyes, "He doesn't have many friends though," he said, his voice starting to raise in suspicion. 

"Ah... we go way back," Kenma continued as he forged more lies, "He hasn't been here recently, so I decided to take some of his stuff to clean. Oh and to take care of her," he said as he gestured to the cat, "I had the key too, as you can see," he said once more as he nodded to the key he left on the door.

The small man returned to a relaxed posture, "If Tsukishima gave you a key, then he must trust you," he pouted, "Even I don't have a key!"

Kenma smiled slightly, "Maybe someday."

The man looked at him with brighter eyes now, "Well, I've never met you, but Tsukishima knows how to pick his friends," he stuck out his hand, "I'm Hinata Shoyou."

Kenma carefully held the calico and bed in one arm and extended his right hand to shake the man's left, "Kozume...Kenma. Kozume Kenma." 

There was a brief moment where everything felt warm and tingly. The sensation went away quickly.

"Well Kenma, maybe we'll see each other again soon!" Shoyou happily chirped. He took the key off of the door and gave it to Kenma. Shoyou waved a quick goodbye and then left down the stairway. Kenma made his way to the elevator. The door opened and he headed down to the first floor. 

He walked out and went to his car that was parked near by. Kenma held the cat in one arm once more to pull out his car keys. He looked at the keys in the palm of his hand to check to make sure it wasn't his house keys or the one he had to the cat's apartment. 

His eyes became wider than the moon. 

In the palm of his hand was a bright orange mark in the shape of the sun. Kenma opened the door and hopped in. He placed the backpack in the back and the cat in the front seat. He buckled himself and the cat as well. He smiled slightly as he looked at the calico.

"Well, looks like I found my soulmate," he gave another smile, "Looks like that's one less thing in common now."

The cat have a small hiss. Kenma shook his head as he gripped the wheel and drove off. He hummed happily, but there was also something stuck in the back of his head. 

Those names... Hinata and Tsukishima.

They sounded awfully familiar. 


	24. Mixed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and Bokuto head to work, but they have a small discussion about the past day, which lead to realizations.  
> Iwaizumi and Daichi spend the night together... Iwaizumi knows something else Daichi should know.

Kuroo closed the door behind them. He adjusted the strap of his messenger bag as he walked to the car. Bokuto was already ahead, getting into the passenger seat. Kuroo also arrived at the car and sat in the driver's seat, pressing the start button of the car. The two buckled themselves in and the car pulled out of the parking place.

Between the time in which they saved Tsukishima and Akaashi and taking them to the doctor, it was very early morning. Kuroo called Kenma later in the day to get some things and he had to wait for him. Then they had to take care of a few more things at home before leaving.

Basically, almost a whole day and a half had passed. It was late afternoon, almost three o' clock. 

Bokuto yawned, "You think Boba will be okay with Tsukishima's cat at home?" he asked randomly. 

Kuroo had one hand on the wheel, "Boba is gentle, so he'll be fine," he laughed, "Tofu is the one you need to worry about. That shiba seems sane, but he's just as wild as you are!"

He saw Bokuto pout from the corner of his eye, "Well if the cat is like Tsukishima, then she'll be mean and stingy," Bokuto said as he crossed his arms, "It kinda sucks for those people... you know. When a soulmate pair despises each other."

"Well, sometimes it really isn't meant to be," Kuroo sighed, "There have been people who ended up with psychopaths or serial killers as soulmates. We're lucky that Tsukishima and Akaashi haven't killed us yet... they have the ability to."

"Yeah- oh. The mission...." Bokuto murmured, voice quieting down after remembering what they had to do. 

The air became heavy.

"Yes," Kuroo started, "but it could be avoided... if they fix up things with Shiratorizawa or if the agents go into hiding, it'll drag out the time of the mission. Of course, there will still be problems for all of us."

Bokuto quirked an eyebrow, "I thought you weren't in that sort of plan," Bokuto looked ahead, thinking of what could go wrong, "We both know the risks very well, and things can end up badly for both ends," he pointed at himself, "I know what I want. You and Tsukishima have a more complicated situation though. He shot you. You interrupted his mission. He doesn't like you. You-"

Kuroo gripped the wheel, "Akaashi doesn't even know that you're his soulmate. Tsukishima already had the idea of who his soulmate is," he continued, knowing very well that Tsukishima saw Kuroo feeling his pain that night. But his conscious was blaring a red signal. Kuroo knew he shouldn't have said that. Bokuto is a sensitive person and he knew that Bokuto didn't mean to say those things to provoke him.... but it came off like that to Kuroo. 

The air thickened and added more layers.

Bokuto was getting upset, "You didn't even believe in soulmates at first. You would just go around and be with anyone when we were in the training academy! It wasn't until you got hurt so badly that you decided to stop-"

Kuroo slammed the breaks, "Enough!", the car jolted, but soon Kuroo continued on until he pulled to the side of the agency.

The air shattered and dispersed. Bokuto sat there, but soon his eyes widened when he realized what he said. Kuroo hunched over the wheel, but he could still see Bokuto from the corner of his eyes. He wanted to say something. 

"Kuroo, I-" 

"It's not your fault," Kuroo sighed out, running at hand through his hair, "I shouldn't have mentioned that... I know that you'll tell Akaashi when the time is right. And I know the risks and I know that Tsukishima isn't very fond of me," he rambled, "And I know that I don't even have my emotions or priorities set straight-"

"Kuroo, chill!" Bokuto pleaded, panicking over Kuroo talking bad about himself. Bokuto quieted down, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have prodded on with your soulmate life and I shouldn't have brought up your past either." 

Silence. Then a little chuckle from both of them. Bokuto shook his head, "This is probably the most serious fight we got into," 

"Ah... it's been a while since our last dispute," Kuroo said as he reached for his messenger bag in the back seat. The two rarely fought, and if they did, most of them were over food or certain tasks in the mission. This once was definitely the once that crossed the lines, but good friends are quick to resolve things. 

There was still a light tensions though...

The two got out of the car, but they hesitated to go inside. Bokuto leaned against the closed doors of the car, "I'm not sure how you feel, but all of this," he gestured to the agency, "and that," he pointed to towards the direction in which their home was, "is taking a toll on me."

"It is taxing," Kuroo agreed as he walked over to stand next to Bokuto, "Everything is getting mixed and jumbled together, so I can't really think clearly and there's so many things that could go wrong...."

"This is the most anxious I've ever felt," Bokuto added on, "Just knowing that we just upped our death risk by saving Tsukishima and Akaashi is a little.... worrisome," he shrugged, "But it was the right thing to do. I don't regret it."

Kuroo paused. It was true... at first he thought of going back on his word when they went to Snake Bite. At first, he only did it because he only thought of himself and the consequences that he would face. He took little consideration to the agents. Now, he realized...

He wouldn't have been able to live with the guilt.

Even if he did go back and he never went with Bokuto, he knew that the shadow of guilt would fall over him. He knew that his gut would never allow him to get over that certain death if it did happen. Despite Kuroo himself killing many on the daily, the death or thought of his soulmate in danger would kill him and follow him to his grave.

The soulmate connection is like that.

But Kuroo felt a little more. He wanted to mend what has be ripped open. He knew that Tsukishima hated him, but he could find a way. He could try to fix up their connection. Kuroo made a few mistakes in the beginning because of grudges, but he knew he could do better. He didn't want to be a lousy soulmate.Of course.... there would still be Shiratorizawa and Oikawa lurking over him-

Ah. There he goes again.

His mind and heart had two different ideas, everything just mixed and muddled together yet...

"I don't regret it either," he smiled as he looked to Bokuto.

And he meant that. Ignoring the tensions and any unsettled feelings and being sure that he would try his best from now on... he meant it, but the underlying message was this.

He didn't regret any of his past encounters with Tsukishima. 

It was at that moment that his heart was overpowering his mind.

* * *

Iwaizumi looked out the window, seeing the twinkle of lights turning on as the sun started to set. He fell back onto the bed and sighed softly. The apartment was softly lit, but it still strained his eyes from how tired he was. It was a rough day at work. Kuroo and Bokuto got there later than normal, so there were setbacks on some of the scheduled outings. Oikawa had gone on a tangent because of it, but Iwaizumi could also tell that Oikawa was worrying about their deal with Shiratorizawa.

Ha! Figures. That's what they get for working for such a big criminal organization.

He snapped out of his train of thought after he felt something warm and tender against his body. Daichi had leaned over and looked at Iwaizumi, his face wrinkled in concern. Daichi cupped Iwaizumi's face in one of his hands. Iwaizumi leaned into the comforting touch. 

"Rough day?" Daichi asked softly, "I knew something was wrong. Oikawa lives a few blocks away from here, so you rarely ask me to come to your apartment," Daichi looked up at the ceiling, "Talk to me."

Iwaizumi looked up as well, "There's just so much going on at work and things with Shiratorizawa are getting messy."

Everyone knew of Nekodorani being partners with Shiratorizawa. Every agency went insane over the fact that the great Oikawa Tooru gave into his enemies clutches after years of fighting.

"Something is going with our agents," Iwaizumi continued, turning onto his side to look at Daichi properly, "There's just something off about the way they're acting."

Daichi turned onto his side as well, "We're still trying to track down Akaashi and Tsukishima. Suga is making progress and everyone else is staked out at certain locations, but I believe will find them soon," Daichi looked at Iwaizumi, "They're strong people. I'm sure they've already gotten out."

Iwaizumi looked down for a moment. 

He knew they did.

Iwaizumi overheard Kenma talking to Kuroo about something. He heard Kenma asking about a name, but Kuroo quickly brushed it away. Once Kenma left, Kuroo went to talk to Bokuto about something else.

And that's when he heard the name of those two agents. Bokuto had received some message from them about... cat food. Nevertheless, it would seem as if Kuroo and Bkuto were housing the two agents.

It could be that they were progressing on this mission. 

But Iwaizumi knew one other thing as well. 

Shiratorizawa was getting impatient. Inarizaki was starting to act up. 

They said that if they took more than a few months, they would take matters into their own hands.It was going to be liking hunting down prey for those huge criminal organizations. 

He hoped that Kuroo and Bokuto would do something soon. Otherwise it was going to become a dog fight in this world.

Iwaizumi looked back at Daichi and nodded, "I'm sure they'll be fine," he gave a reassuring smile.

The two chatted for a while. The hours passed, the sky turned into calm midnight blue and speckled spots. Iwaizumi looked out the window once more, the twinkling lights of the city becoming brighter than before. He looked to his side. Daichi was in deep sleep for a while. He nuzzled himself against Iwaizumi's cotton shirt. Iwaizumi pulled Daichi in closer and rested the top of his chin on Daichi head. He closed his eyes.

He hoped that all of this would pass. 

He hoped that he could still maintain his relationship with his soulmate despite all the secrets.

He wanted to tell the truth, but he knew what would happen.

Iwaizumi sighed.

He hoped this twisted lifestyle would end soon. 


	25. Tangled and Twisted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima and Akaashi have a soulmate talk of their own.

It was late. 

Kuroo and Bokuto still haven't returned from their agencies. So it was just him and Akaashi in the household. Tsukishima had gone upstairs since his cat, Twix, had wandered upstairs to where the big dogs were. Thankfully, she was fine. She kept those giant dogs in check. Tsukshima laughed when he saw the dogs rush towards Akaashi's bedside for aid and protection. He just decided to stay since they both probably felt awkward not being in their own apartments. 

So they talked. They talked about how their agency could be doing, they talked about Snake Bite, and they even talked about all the pets in the house.

Tsukishima was trying to avoid the one thing everyone talked about. 

Akaashi twiddled his fingers, "How's it going with your soulmate life?"

There it was.

He felt a sting in his arm, "Well," he grunted, "it seems like Kuroo is out on the field right now. It's pretty late for it though, but it's been worse," he grumbled.

Akaashi nodded, "Like the time you shot him."

The corner of Tsukishima's lip curled into a smirk, "Yeah. Good times," he leaned on the back of the chair he was sitting on, "Everything has just gone downhill ever since then," his smirk became a strained smile.

"I know you've been through a lot," Akaashi said, "but why do you hate Kuroo so much? I mean besides the fact that he's from another agency...or that he called your skills lacking."

Tsukishima huffed, "He's annoying and a pain in the ass, why wouldn't I hated him? And since when were you on their side?"

Akaashi looked down at the dogs, "I've had one or two encounters with them myself..."

He proceeded to talk about the times he had seen Bokuto. The first time where Bokuto helped Akaashi in the coffee shop. The second at 7-11, where Akaashi talked for a while. Akaashi talked about how Bokuto wasn't as bad as he thought.

"He's completely different off the field," Akaashi continued, "Don't you think Kuroo could be the same? You have your soulmate right in front of you! This is your chance to-"

"I don't believe in soulmates." 

The room quickly became quiet. Twix had leaped off of Tsukishima's lap and headed out of the room, while Tofu and Boba decided to follow her. Tsukishima looked down at his arms. He saw the familiar black circle, but sometimes he wished he could cover it with a sticker or band-aid. It was reasonable for Akaashi wanting him to get along with Kuroo, especially since Akaashi was wondering who his soulmate was, yet...

"You have no right to tell me who to be with," Tsukishima said quietly, "It's my decision... but I don't believe in this," he said as he gestured to his mark. 

Akaashi sat up straight, his shoulders tensing slightly, "If it's not too much.... did something happen?" he asked carefully.

Tsukishima had only told this to Yamaguchi. Akaashi had been one of his friends for a while and was his partner for the longest time. 

The time was now.

Tsukishima looked up at Akaashi.

**"Have you ever heard of the Tangled Mark?"**

* * *

**YEARS AGO...**

"Kei it's nothing to get worked up about. You'll be okay!"

Tsukishima was in elementary school when he felt an awful sting in his face. His older brother, Akiteru, was comforting him and patted his head. He gave a reassuring smile, "Your soulmate probably bumped their head or hit their face with something. I'm sure they are okay too."

"It still hurts though," Tsukishima mumbled, "Why does it have to be pain that we feel?"

Akiteru went to kneel down, "It represents the hardships we go through, " he said as he showed Tsukishima his own mark, a star on the inner part of his thumb and index finger, "Eventually, when you meet your soulmate you'll already have a connection with them since you know what they've been through."

"It's lucky that you've met your soulmate in high school," Tsukishima said with a grin, "Mom had to wait until college to meet dad. How long do you think it'll take till I meet mine?"

Akiteru smiled again, "You're still young!" he laughed, "Besides, no one wants a snarky kid in their love life yet."

Tsukishima pouted, "Well I can't help it," he crossed his arms, "but I have more personality than just that."

His brother ruffled his hair, "You sure do, Kei." 

It was often like that everyday. Akiteru would talked to Tsukishima about soulmates, especially about his relationship with his high school sweetheart. Akiteru would leave home with a smile and return, tired, but still with a smile. Sometimes he'd return with gifts or treats. Akiteru had kept a "soulmate journal", which was a popular trend in Japan than in other places. Tsukishima would see him write in it at least once a day, but sometimes, Akiteru would just write without stopping.

Tsukishima thought that his brother had the perfect relationship.

"Akiteru!" Tsukishima would greet him whenever he came back from his soulmate's place, "How it go?"

Akiteru would smile and say, "Everything went great! The date was a success as always."

It was always like that. "It was great", "She laughed a lot", "We were very happy", "She kissed me goodbye."....

But one day, it wasn't alright.

Tsukishima ran to the door once he heard the jingle of keys outside. He was ready to greet Akiteru as always.

Akiteru swung the door open, clutching his hand and arm. He ran straight towards his bedroom, slamming the door. The door bounced because of the force, so a small crack was open. Tsukishima walked towards Akiteru's room, slowly and with caution. When he reached it, he opened the door a little bit more.

"Akiteru, what's wro-"

Tsukishima's heart dropped.

One time, Tsukishima had watched a documentary on soulmates. Of course, it would talk about the normal things. When it starts, the pain you could feel, the marks, the connection, and the two mutations of it. 

One. The connection between a pair can be so strong, so loving, and so genuine that even the connection could feel it. The connections adds on somethings else: the pair could now feel their partners emotional pains as well. This one was a little bit rarer than the other one.

Two. The connection breaks. One half or both have such an immense hatred or toxic feelings towards each other. It was more common for one soulmate to want to erase the connection because they wanted to be with someone else. They could strongly believe that the universe has paired them with the wrong person. They met with all sorts of people to get rid of the connection, so much that the connection senses it. For the sake of the other person, for the sake of the couples well-being, the connection breaks itself. Heartbreak and such a horrendous feeling comes through. Everything just falls away.

But it leaves a mark of its own.

Tsukishima's body became numb. His brother was on the floor. The room light from the outside seeped into the room, lighting Akiteru's exposed arms. 

There were lines exploding on Akiteru's skin. It was tangled, twisted, and the core was the star marking. His right arm was covered with golden lines. Akiteru tried to speak, but Tsukishima just heard a small whimper and saw as tears started to spill.

"Mom," Tsukishima mumbled, but he finally processed what was happening, "Mom! MOM!!"

His mother came running in and once she laid eyes on Akiteru, she gasped and reached for her phone. His mother was trembling as she fell next to Tsukishima, her voice becoming weaker as she spoke to an operator on the phone. Tsukishima felt numb once more, but he felt something crawling up his neck.

Lies. 

Akiteru lied about his soulmate life. 

When they got to the hospital, Akiteru had finally gained control of himself. Tsukishima watched blankly as Akiteru looked at the twisted lines all over his arm. 

"She never wanted me to be with her," Akiteru quietly murmured, "From the beginning, it was never me," he looked sadly at Tsukishima, "Today was the day she decided to end it. Right in front of me.... she tried to cut out her mark."

Tsukishima felt like he couldn't breathe. 

"I'm so sorry, Kei," Akiteru quivered, the tears starting to fall again. "I knew this would happen, but I truly thought I could change it."

Lies.

He lied to Tsukishima.

"Please... don't let this stop you from meeting your soulmate or being happy with them," Akiteru pleaded as he slowly went to lay down, "I promise that you'll do better than me."

Tsukishima didn't know what to believe, but he nodded unconsciously. 

More years passed. He decided to become an agent to try to drive away his soulmate from meeting him. Tsukishima made it to the Birds of Prey agency after years of training. He was already there for almost a year.

On a spring day, Tsukishima was cleaning the weaponry. The older agents were out on a mission, so it was just the newer agents in the building. He heard the door open, but he didn't bother looking to see who it was.

"Tsukishima..."

It was Hinata's voice. Tsukishima sighed, "I'm not going to let you use any of this for practice-"

He turned around to face Hinata. The orange headed man was crying, his face red and globs of tears rolling down. Hinata tried to get rid of any snot, "Something's wrong with Kageyama..."

Tsukishima frowned, "Maybe he got injured when he went out on that observation. You can send him to the infirmary-"

"Tsukishima please!" Hinata started to yell, "Please..."

Tsukishima sighed and got up, placing down the gun he had on the table. He nodded towards the door, signaling to lead him to Kageyama. Hinata sprinted out, not wasting a moment. Tsukishima tried to tell him to slow down, but he ended up running behind the small agent. Hinata turned into the offices. Tsukishima caught his breath at the doorway, looking down the whole time. After a moment, he looked up.

A familiar scene was in front of him.

Kageyama was hunched over his desk, breathing heavily and desperately. Drops of sweat slid down his cheek and his hands trembled against the desk. 

Sprouting from his neck, twisted blue lines covered the entire left side of his neck, and all the way down to his collarbone. Hinata supported Kageyama as Tsukishima quietly ordered him to go to the infirmary.

Tsukishima's body felt numb. Familiar pictures replayed in his mind.

When Tsukishima got to the infirmary, Kageyama's face was blank. Hinata was sitting down, but his face was in shock. Yachi, one of the nurses there, held an empty jar and looked in panic for a moment, but her face twisted into a blank stare.

"I knocked over the scalpels on Kageyama as he was laying down," Yachi whispered, "I was taking care of one of the other agents.... that's why I went to put the scalpels away. But..."

She pointed at Kageyama's arm. Fresh cuts were on his left arm, and a scalpel was buried into his arm.

Kageyama looked at Tsukishima, his face starting to crumple, but his eyes remained blank. The cuts became deeper as Kageyama moved his injured arm. He opened his mouth to speak...

**"I didn't feel anything... I can't feel the pain."**

* * *

Tsukishima looked up at Akaashi, "Kageyama's soulmate had rejected him the same day Kageyama met him.... it took a toll on the connection and that's why he ended up like that."

Akaashi's face dropped even more, "That's why he can't feel physical pain... and that's why he always wears collared shirts and long sleeves."

Kageyama never wore any short sleeves ever since that day.

"Soulmates... they say they are people who are destined to be to be together. Fate is what made the connection," Tsukishima continued, "But if fate was so right... then why did that happen to my brother? Why did the King go through it? Why do thousands of people suffer from the damn connection?!"

Tsukishima looked down at his mark once more, "I don't believe in soulmates."

Akaashi gave a soft sigh, "You're scared... aren't you?"

Tsukishima looked up at his friend. Akaashi reached for Tsukishima's hand and held it, "You don't want to go through what those people went through, and from what you said, I understand why, but don't you think that you pushing Kuroo away could cause it?"

"I'm not taking it to the extreme," Tsukishima retorted. 

"I know... but you said the connection determines it itself. What if it believes that Kuroo is hurting because of...you?"

Akaashi dropped Tsukishima's hand, "Just think about it before it goes on any longer."

Tsukishima nodded slowly. The connection would determine if a relationship is too toxic or filled with so much hatred that the other soulmate couldn't bear it. Kuroo didn't show any signs of it. For all Tsukishima knew, it was a mutual dislike. It went both ways. It didn't seem like he was doing too much either.

The universe has it's own peculiar way of seeing things Tsukishima didn't believe in soulmates, but he still worried about any of it affecting him.

Maybe he could end up with twisted lines as well.

Those pictures kept replaying in his mind. Tsukishima looked down at his mark for the third time. He then reached over to the nightstand and opened the first drawer. There were some pens and for some reason, some stickers.

Tsukishima took one of the smiley face stickers and placed it over his mark. Akaashi looked at him in concern. Tsukishima gave Akaashi a strained smile. 

Just for today.

He couldn't bear with that black circle for today. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's something important in this chapter, so you guys better keep note of it ;)
> 
> I hope you guys are doing well!


	26. Restless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo heard everything. He tries to sort his emotions once and for all.... doesn't really go well, so he makes waffles at 2 in the morning.

Kuroo's hand was hovering over the door of Bokuto's spare room. 

He stood there, his mind processing everything that he heard. Kuroo looked down at his feet to see Tsukishima's cat rubbing her head against his leg. He scooted away from the doorway, dropping his hand away from the door, and stood on the opposite side of the small hallway. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor, the cat making her way over to him and making herself home on his lap. Kuroo scratched her ears for a while.

Tsukishima didn't believe in soulmates. 

Kuroo looked at his right hand, which was now resting on the back of the cat. The black circle was splayed across his fingers, the same as usual. Tsukishima was that determined to push him away, huh? 

"Well, it makes sense," he muttered to himself, "He did see the tangled mark himself in person...twice."

The cat meowed and stretched. Kuroo looked down at her, "You don't think our bad relationship will really cause a tangled mark...right?"

She gave another meow. Kuroo just sighed, "See, this is why I talk to Boba. At least he gives direct responses."

Kuroo looked up at the sound of the door opening. Tsukishima walked out, pausing for a moment when he saw Kuroo. The cat quickly got up from Kuroo's lap and walked over to Tsukishima. The blonde scooped her up in his arms.

"Have you been here for long?" Tsukishima asked, "A while ago I felt a pain in my arm a while ago, so I thought you were out."

"Oh," Kuroo said quietly, "No. I just bumped my arm against the stair rails outside," he spoke as he rubbed his arm, "It's no big deal."

Tsukishima's eyes narrowed, "Did you hear-"

"Yes."

Kuroo stood up, "I did, in fact, hear most of that conversation. Well, at least the end of it." There was no point in lying. From what Kuroo could tell, Tsukishima wouldn't want to hear any lies because of the situation with his brother. It makes sense why Tsukishima acts so stingy and blunt.

Tsukishima gave a small nod, "Now one more person knows," he narrowed his eyes, "Now you know."

The blonde walked away with the cat in his arms. He slowly made his way down the stairs, and a few moments later, Kuroo could hear the door being shut. Kuroo looked in front of him at the open door. Akaashi sat there in bed, a frown on his face. Kuroo made his way over to Akaashi and sat down in the empty chair.

"He's not very open with his emotions," Akaashi quietly stated after a long silence, "He's had it very hard for a long time, and it just continues to build."

Kuroo nodded, "I know. He had problems with his brother and friends, I show up, and now three huge criminal groups are after you two. Of course it would build so much stress," he sighed as he buried his face in his hands, "Why does everything happen at the wrong time?"

He could feel a sympathetic look from Akaashi, "Looks like we all just have a streak of bad luck, but maybe he'll come around," he comforted, "Tsukishima takes a while to warm up to others... especially towards you since you're not only just from Nekodorani, but you're also his soulmate."

"And from what I heard, he despises soulmates," Kuroo continued.

Wait. 

Since when did he care about this whole soulmate thing?

Akaashi sighed, "You two are so pessimistic," he said as he shook his head, "I hope you two will figure something out if you do decide to go down that path."

Kuroo just got up and nodded, leaving the room so that Akaashi could get some peace and quiet before Bokuto returned. Kuroo went downstairs and opened the door quietly. The lights were off. When Kuroo peeked to look at the room where Tsukishima was in, he saw a closed door with no lights peeking out of the cracks.

He must have gone to bed. 

Kuroo quietly made his way to the living room and laid down on the couch. Boba trotted over and placed his paws on Kuroo's chest. Kuroo smiled softly at him, "You're too big now to be a lap dog," he whispered. Boba just flopped his ears and ended up laying down on the floor next to the couch. Kuroo looked up at the ceiling.

He couldn't sleep. He didn't feel sleepy.

Kuroo could have sworn he didn't feel anything towards Tsukishima, yet he was getting very invested into Tsukishima's belief in not wanting anything to do with his soulmate. He still has the mission on the line, not to mention, his whole life on the line just by being in Tsukishima's life.

Kuroo got up. He looked back into the hallway.

Oh.

He just realized that the only door open was his own room. Kuroo had left Tsukishima there, since it was the only room with a comfortable bed, but it seemed like he moved into the spare room. The spare room only had a twin bed and a small desk and chair, as well as a small storage place. Some of Kuroo's gym equipment was in there. It was a good room for a gym since it was soundproof. The person who used to live here used this place as one big music studio. 

Wait. It's soundproof. 

Kuroo got up and headed towards the kitchen. He turned on the light over the stove, which gave a soft yellow glow. He didn't take off his jacket yet, so he ripped it off and threw it towards the couch. He looked over to see the jacket land on top of Boba, and he gave a small chuckle. 

Stress cooking. Yes. That's the answer to everything. 

Flour, eggs, milk, oil, sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and a mini waffle iron. Oh, and measure tools and bowls. Kuroo laid out eveything and started to get to work. Preheat the waffle iron. Mix in the bigger portions first: flour and baking powder. Next, in a separate bowl, beat the eggs until they are nice a fluffy. Mix in the sugar and oil. After that, slowly mixing in the flour and baking powder mixture in halves. At the end, mix in the vanilla extract and any other additions.

It wasn't a chocolate chip waffle mood tonight.

He opened the mini waffle iron and sprayed it with some cooking spray. Using another measure cup, he split one cup of batter into the four division. He'd wait three minutes and then take them out and place them on a plate.

In the end, he had twenty four mini waffles. Well, twenty three- he gave one to Boba. 

Kuroo sat down at the kitchen table. He placed down his plate of mini waffles and grabbed a glass of milk and a can of whip cream. Some fruit too. He looked at the clock: 2 AM. Time really does pass.

He ate, drowning all of his emotions with mini waffles. 

Yes, he didn't regret saving or meeting Tsukishima. No, he didn't know if he was going forward with the mission. No, he doesn't have any clear feelings for Tsukishima. Yes, his curiosity is getting the best of him. Yes, he is terrified of dying because of his own soulmate. Yes, he is scared of their hatred getting the best of them and ending up with a tangled mark. Yes, he has acted rude and snide towards Tsukishima in the past because he only saw him as a rival and target.

But now he's his soulmate.

Kuroo went back and forth with the yes and no reasoning. Another hour passed. Twelve mini waffles were eaten and a bowl of untouched strawberries was all the fruit that was left. Kuroo took the can of whip cream and sprayed some directly into his mouth. Ugh... he'd probably have a sugar crash by the time the sun came up.

Kuroo looked up as he heard a door open, his mouth still full of whip cream. He proceeded to choke on it as he saw Tsukishima appear, his eyes still groggy, but his face contoured into disgust. Tsukishima opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. He was about to leave, but Kuroo gave a muffled shout. Tsukishima turned around.

With a sheepish smile after he managed to finish off the food in his mouth, Kuroo opened his mouth...

"Would you like one?" he said as he held up a waffle.

Tsukishima shook his head slowly, "No... but I'll take one of these."

Tsukishima took one strawberry from the bowl and left. Kuroo slumped over with a mini waffle in his hand. However, Tsukishima came back. He reached for the bowl of strawberries, "I'm just hungry now," he said with a small shrug.

Kuroo placed the mini waffle in the bowl before Tsukishima picked it up. The blonde hesitated for a moment, but he took the bowl of strawberries and the single waffle with it. Kuroo heard the door close once more. 

Nice. He took one.

There it was again. Kuroo was satisfied with a small action from Tsukishima. The looming thought of complications still hung over his head though...

Kuroo went back to the couch and sat down, leaving the soft glowing light on. Boba jumped up on the couch and sat next to Kuroo. Kuroo felt full, but he still didn't feel sleepy. Kuroo looked over to his dog to see the black chow chow fast asleep. He could feel a headache coming on as he still tried to sort out his problems. 

It looked like it would be a restless night for Kuroo tonight. 


	27. Warm and Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall has turned into winter.  
> A while has passed... the snakes have found them.

Akaashi watched as snow fell outside. The small flurries of snow would eventually turn into the beautiful snowflakes that would be whisked away with the Tokyo wind. Flurries fell on the glass. Akaashi placed his hand on the cold surface. 

He loved winter. 

"Hey, I just cleaned the windows."

Akaashi turned to hear Bokuto's pouting. When Akaashi lifted his hand away from the window, his hand print left it's mark. Bokuto sat down on the bed and crossed his arms, "That was my hard work right there."

Akaashi gave a small smile, "I promise I'll clean it up."

Bokuto shook his head, "No, no! I'm on windows, you're on dishes," he said with a grin. Akaashi groaned. Ever since his ribs and concussion healed, Bokuto had been making sure that Akaashi was moving around by doing small chores. It was the least Akaashi could do since he stayed here. It was already near the end of November, so he had to repay Bokuto in a way.

That included doing the dishes. Which wasn't his favorite chore.

"Fine," Akaashi grumbled, "but only because today is the last day I'm here," he continued as he pointed to Bokuto. Bokuto just nodded as he got up and went towards the kitchen, probably to feed Tofu or take him out on a walk.

Akaashi stood up and stretched. It was a quiet afternoon. There wasn't a sign of anyone outside since the forecast called for heavy snowfall later in the day. If any missions were done, it was probably early in the morning or yesterday night. It was around the time in which gang members and those evil organizations would put their actions on hold. The cold made it difficult for them to be on the move, so if any deals are done, it's through burner phones and transactions. It was like an unwritten truth in criminal organizations: no territory or trickery would be played throughout November and December.

Only people who have a huge event to deal with would even try to attack on a day like this.

He went to the kitchen to find Bokuto kneeling down next to Tofu. Akaashi went down, supporting himself on the soles of his feet and knelt on the opposite end of Tofu. The shiba turned his attention towards Akaashi and nudged Akaashi's cheek. Akaashi gave a small smile.

"You're going to miss me Tofu?" Akaashi chirped as he rubbed the dog's head, "Makes sense... I take you on better walks and play with you more often."

Bokuto scoffed, "Well, that's because you bribe him with treats and I still have to work. May I remind you, that I'm in the top ten special agents in Tokyo?" 

"Oh my! And I'm in the top thirty," Akaashi continued, feigning a gasp, "Yet, I still managed to take down a top ten with a high heel," he ended with a small smile. 

Bokuto tried not to laugh, and tried to keep a serious face, "But what's this? A top thirty agent relied on a rival top ten agent, not once.. not twice... but THREE times? How scandalous!"

Akaashi stifled a laugh, "Hey... the bakery and 7-11 don't count!"

"Well it does in my book," Bokuto taunted as he stuck out his tongue, "Emotional help counts."

Tofu ran to the living room to get away from their shenanigans. Akaashi nudged Bokuto with his hand, "But that was outside of the fields!" 

Bokuto playfully pushed back, "Doesn't matter 'cause I still helped you in some way." 

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too!" 

"Does not!"

Eventually, it broke out into an all on play fight. Akaashi's hands pushed against Bokuto's hands, though his arms were shaking a little bit. Bokuto had more strength in his upper body than Akaashi did....

But he could still fight back.

Akaashi suddenly let his grip loose and Bokuto and moved aside quickly. Bokuto, bewildered by the sudden movement, was falling, but he turned around in a attempt to take Akaashi down with him. Akaashi barely slipped away from his grasp before he pinned Bokuto down- one hand over the head and the other hand on the chest. He kept Bokuto in place with his legs. 

"I won," Akaashi breathed out as he looked down at Bokuto, "I have defeated a top ten agent."

Bokuto smiled, "Well, isn't this a familiar picture..."

"Same tactic that I used back at the gala," Akaashi nodded, "You have a good memory."

Some soft laughter rung around the kitchen. Akaashi looked back at Bokuto. In comparison to the angry and scowling face that he saw at the gala, Bokuto was smiling and laughing. His weren't blank... they gave a small glint. His face wasn't as cold, but it was softer. It just looked and felt like it would be...

Warm.

Akaashi felts heat rising to his cheeks. He let go of Bokuto and got off of him. Bokuto sat up and looked at Akaashi, "Is something wrong?"

Akaashi fanned himself a little, "No!" he said a little too loudly, "No. I just felt a little hot all of the sudden, that's all..."

Bokuto's nose scrunched up, "Don't tell me you have a fever.... let me see."

"Wait-"

Bokuto just gently placed his hand on Akaashi's forehead. Akaashi froze and didn't have a single muscle. He held his breath for a moment.

It was warm.

"Maybe it was just blood rush from the sudden play fight," Bokuto shrugged as he removed his hand away from Akaashi's forehead. The warmth left and Akaashi released the breath he held back. Bokuto got up, and grabbed Tofu's leash, "Take care of yourself, or else it'll be another win in the book for me!" he said at he went out the entrance with Tofu right behind him.

Akaashi slowly got back up and just hummed as an answer. He touched his own face, his cheeks still warm from the sudden rush of heat. 

Over the past month, Bokuto and Akaashi have gotten closer. Even if it was a late night walk with Tofu or playing game boards when Akaashi was still confined to the bed, Bokuto would still find a way to keep Akaashi busy and entertained. There really wasn't a single boring day he was here. It was fun and it was different than he friendships with the other agents. 

He was unpredictable and he had such a different aura than what Akaashi had seen on the fields. 

"Oh my," Akaashi whispered to himself.

No way. No he didn't! He couldn't.

Bokuto already has his mark. Akaashi remembered that Bokuto had told him that he was looking for his soulmate.

Akaashi didn't have one. There wasn't anything on his arms or hands or neck or face. Not even on his chest or stomach. He even checked his back, but there was nothing. It was also very uncommon for the mark to be on the legs or feet, so he didn't bother to check. They were also covered with patches of bandages.

Akaashi started to bite the sides of his nails. He shook his head a little. 

No. He couldn't like Bokuto. He didn't want to steal away someone's soulmate. 

Akaashi sighed and went to the sink full of dishes. He had to do something in order to clear his mind. 

He felt a chill in the room despite the window being closed. 

Suddenly Bokuto came back in, pulling Tofu in quickly and slamming the door behind him. He looked frantic as he removed the leash and harness from Tofu. The dog was sent into a room, Bokuto followed and came back with a backpack after closing the room door. He quickly ran back into the kitchen and opened it. 

"Pick your weapon of choice," he heavily breathed out. 

Akaashi stared into a bag of weapons. He looked back up at Bokuto in confusion.

He could hear Kuroo yelling out something. He heard glass being broken and the door being bashed against.

He heard the sound of more people. 

"Hurry!" Bokuto urged, "They're here!"

Both of their heads snapped towards the door as something slammed against it. The door was slowly breaking down. A chunk of wood flew as the door was becoming weaker. 

Akaashi saw the familiar metal bat. Bokuto shoved a hand gun and a small dagger in Akaashi's arms. Bokuto's eyes became blank and cold as he stared towards the entrance. 

"Snake Bite is here."

* * *

Unlike Bokuto and Akaashi, Kuroo and Tsukishima hadn't made great progress in their relationship. 

Tsukishima hadn't really tried to make much conversation with Kuroo. If anything, they would just have small talk... and Kuroo always started it. It would be like, "how was your day?" or, "do you need anything?". Sometimes he would bring up the weather or he would bring up sports.

Volleyball was the only sport he talked about. It was also one of the only things that started a full on conversation. Tsukishima had an interest in the sport, so he would give his opinions on a game and on the blocking strategy, while Kuroo would point out how certain plays could have been improved on. 

Sometimes they'd sit down in the living room in silence while one watched their show. Tsukishima would watch documentaries while Kuroo turned on the cooking channel- if there were no games on. 

Tsukishima hated to admit it, but....

Kuroo made one fine strawberry shortcake.

Kuroo was a good cook- another thing that he hated to admit. Apparently, Kuroo's first choice wasn't being a special agent. 

"When I was younger, I wanted to be a chemist, so my second choice was a chef," Kuroo had mentioned the other day, "You know, since cooking is basically like chemistry. They both have reactions and need certain things in order to get the right product." 

Kuroo had placed down a bowl of chicken noodle soup for Tsukishima's lingering symptoms, "I became a special agent because I wanted to try something thrilling and something that just gave that sudden adrenaline rush that I would feel when I did sports. Something that would never end... even if we did lose, there would still be more to do. Not to mention..."

He looked at Tsukishima with a sly grin, "You always get the last laugh when you defeat the enemy."

Tsukishima didn't even remember what led to that conversation. 

So now it would just be light conversations with a slight awkward tension in the air.

Today, Kuroo didn't have any work. As custom, all criminal organizations would drop their activities just for the next two months. It was the holiday months, so many of them went back to their families if they still had connections with them. 

Kuroo and Tsukishima were just sitting in the living room. Tsukishima was working on a crossword while Kuroo was grooming Boba. 

"Do you know a word for 'losing' that has six letters?" he asked Kuroo. It might have been a typo since Tsukishima couldn't think of any words. 

There was a small thud from upstairs, "Well... would "Bokuto" work?" Kuroo sarcastically replied. 

"Pft," Tsukishima shook his head as he looked up, "I guess Bokuto lost the fight this time."

"And looks like, I got a win on my side," Kuroo grinned as he looked at Tsukishima, "It's the first time I've seen you smile."

Tsukishima didn't realize he was smiling until he felt the muscles in his face relax and move into a frown at hearing Kuroo's remark. 

Huh.

How did that slip by?

Tsukishima returned to his normal state, "And probably the last," he stated as he returned to his word cross. 

He could hear Kuroo's pout, "Even if you don't want to be soulmates, can't we just be friends? Or at the least... acquaintances?"

"We do know each other," Tsukishima pointed out, "So, we are already acquaintances."

Kuroo sighed and got up to put away the dog brush, "You know what I mean..."

"We've been through this, haven't we?" Tsukishima replied, his voice laced with annoyance, "Rivals will never work out together in the end."

"Who said we have to be rivals everywhere?" Kuroo said as he leaned over Tsukishima's shoulder. Tsukishima turned and faced Kuroo. Kuroo looked directly into Tsukishima's eyes. When Tsukishima just observed Kuroo, his eyes looked...

Sad. Cold. Like if there was something more he desired. 

"We could be rivals on the field, but friends on the outside," Kuroo mumbled. 

"You know that could go wrong as well," Tsukishima retorted. They should both know very well that agents who were friends with rival agents could easily turn any information against them. 

"I wouldn't do that," Kuroo sighed out as he moved away. Kuroo just walked to the window and looked outside at the falling snow. Tsukishima sighed and walked towards the black haired agent. Normally, their small talk would end pretty quickly....

But Tsukishima's curiosity got the best of him. 

"Why are you persisting so much?" Tsukishima asked as he walked up to the window, "If I push, no one pushes back unless they're my friends or someone close to me. So, why aren't you giving up on having some sort of relationship- any sort of relationship with me?"

Kuroo looked at Tsukishima, "I like a challenge," he said with a smile. Kuroo's eyes were still cold and sad... but they slowly started to thaw and warm up. 

Tsukishima looked out the window again, but he could still feel Kuroo's stare. People usually wouldn't try to persist or even try to get close to Tsukishima since he would be so closed in. It didn't make sense... it usually worked with other people, but it looks like Kuroo wasn't going to budge. 

Tsukishima squinted as he saw something strange outside. Something was coming towards the window. It looked sharp, but there wasn't any hail and no bird would be out right now. The shape became more clear as it came closer. 

An arrow. Heading straight for Kuroo. 

Without hesitation, Tsukishima pulled Kuroo away from the window and pushed him against the opposite wall. Tsukishima moved away as far as he could from the window before the sound of glass shattering filled the room. The arrow zoomed by their faces and kept going, landing right on the door. 

"They found us," Kuroo hissed out as he ran towards the closet and opened the door. Kuroo tossed a holster and a gun to Tsukishima, "Use it only when you really need to. Hand on hand is better against them," he started to yell as the noise from outside got louder. 

Tsukishima nodded as he put the holster on and placed the gun in place. The two ran for the door, but suddenly, the door swung open. 

"Long time no see, Kuroo!"

Daishou stood at the doorway with Hiroo, the familiar sliver bats swung behind their backs. Tsukishima looked over to the broken window to see more henchmen coming towards them.

Surrounded.

The cold air was whisked into the room. 

Tsukishima back up until he was pushed up against Kuroo's back. Kuroo spoke quietly to him. 

"Like I said, we don't have to be rivals in all places," he whispered as he glanced towards Tsukishima and then back at Snake Bite, "So why don't we go for a challenge, eh?" 

Tsukishima gave a small laugh. Tsukishima could see the corner of Kuroo's lip curl into a smirk from the corner of his eye. 

Two on...around thirteen? 

Sounds like fun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A longish chapter :)


	28. Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It takes two in order to defeat a big obstacle.

_Inhale._

Kuroo was pressed against Tsukishima's back. He could practically feel Tsukishima's heart beating faster and faster. The rising rush of adrenaline was hitting them hard as they looked around, seeing the faces of Snake Bite and their signature snake bite piercings. Daishou stood in front of them, raising his bat to point towards Tsukishima. 

"Him," Daishou stated, "Just hand him over Kuroo. It'll be easier on you if you do."

_Exhale._

"Daishou, as the wonderful leader you are," Kuroo taunted, "You know that I like to do things that hard way."

"I'll go."

Kuroo looked at Tsukishima. The blonde pushed himself away Kuroo and stood in front of Daishou. Kuroo reached out for Tsukishima wrist, "What are you doing?" he whispered out. 

Tsukishima moved his hand away a little. He glanced back at Kuroo and gave a small nod. Kuroo huffed out and stepped away. Daishou flicked his tongue out a little, "Looks like this agent despises being with you that much, Kuroo."

Kuroo flinched a little to get a reaction out of Daishou, but he kept looking at Tsukishima. 

He was planning something.

Daishou had loosened the grip on hilt of his bat ever so slightly. He reached out to Tsukishima, the blonde's face being blank as Daishou's hand got closer to his face. Kuroo hand twitched, wanting to swat the disgusting hand away. Even Kuroo knew that Tsukishima would never allow some gangster get that close to him.

"You're going to help us bring your friend with us," Daishou smirked as he gestured upstairs.

Kuroo and Tsukishima glanced upwards. They could hear Bokuto and Akaashi yelling at each other. The thumps of people running and pivoting around were muffled. Tsukishima looked back down at Daishou, and gave a strained smile. 

"He doesn't give up during fights," Tsukishima drawled out, "No matter what you put against him- unless he restrained- he'll find a way to win," he ended. Tsukishima glanced towards Kuroo, then to the henchmen around them. Those golden eyes sent such a freezing look. 

Kuroo felt a chill from Tsukishima's sudden aura change. Tsukishima gave a chuckle. 

"And so do I." 

Tsukishima's fast reflexes didn't fail him. He grabbed Daishou's bat, which slipped away from Daishou's loose grip. With the turn of his wrist, he twirled the bat into the swinging position, batting away Daishou's hand from his face. Daishou, grasping his own hand and stumbling away from Tsukishima, clicked his tongue. Tsukishima took no time to readjust the bat and land a proper hit on Daishou's legs. 

Daishou seethed something through his teeth. The leader fell onto his knees. Tsukishima pointed the metal bat towards him.

"Snake Bite.... won't be able to recover from this one," he spat out, cocking his eyebrow up. 

"Well... don't just stand there!" Daishou yelled out to the others, "Go!" 

Tsukishima backed up to Kuroo once more, "You know the drill," the blonde said to him, "Unless you didn't go to academy training."

"Ha!" Kuroo scoffed, "The finest academy you wished to be in. Of course I know."

Basic lesson number five.

A team of two, a pair, partners. A duo...would be very effective against a group of ten or more. Split, but stay close. Cover each others backs. Avoid the use of fire weapons since it bears the risk of hurting the other one.

Tsukishima had gone straight for Daishou, who was the main power of them all. Delaying the move of the strongest member was smart. 

Clever, Tsukishima. Clever. 

Tsukishima wielded the bat, getting ready the first three henchmen that ran towards them. He pushed himself off of Kuroo once more to gain some speed as he swung for the first guy, putting a heavy blow on the man's stomach. Tsukishima's sense were on full alert. He spun around, dropping the bat for a moment. Tsukishima's fist made contact with a henchman who tried to hit him from behind. He stepped back a little, picking up the bat with his foot and throwing it up lightly to catch it. Tsukishima then proceeded to kick the one left standing right on the kneecaps. Hard.

Kuroo winced lightly as he heard a pop and crack. 

Meanwhile, Kuroo focused on his half. 

Jump spin kick. One went flying into the living room, while two were knocked down. Fore fist. Land the blow on the softer parts to land a strong blow. Another one lost his breath from the impact. Sweep under the legs. Knock down the rest. Low block. Two of them went for his legs. Kuroo's eyes narrowed as he pushed one of the the henchmen down. He jabbed the man's neck, his veins buldging out from the hit. 

Scissor finger. Kuroo jabbed the man right in the eyes. He shoved himself away from the screaming man and took care of the other one. Hammer fist. There was that sweet sound of a nasal bone being broken. 

Kuroo glanced towards the broken window. There were two more standing on guard or maybe for backup?

"Pathetic," Kuroo mumbled out as he pulled out his gun. He placed two bullets in and aimed. Careful... don't break any more glass..

"Bam," he said quietly as one went down, "And boom." 

Easy. Right in the back of the head and they were gone. Thankfully the homes around this area was sparse and spread out. It would be a while until any agents or police would arrive. 

Kuroo heard frantic barking, but it wasn't from outside. Wait-

Boba. He was in the living room before they came in... where was he?!

Kuroo turned to look into his room, which was closed... even though it was wide open before all of this went down. He dashed for the door, taking a few tries before the door as kicked open. He ran into the room, only to halt in his tracks.

Boba, his gentle chow chow, was baring his teeth and growling at Hiroo. Hiroo's eyes lazily glanced towards Kuroo, his bat wedged behind Kuroo's bookshelf, which held many heavy duty books and items from when he was training. Boba kept on growling and jumping back a little. 

He was right in the place where he could get hurt. 

"You'll be going to hell if you dare lift that bat!" Kuroo yelled, his face heating up from his blood boiling.

Hiroo looked at the bookshelf, then at Boba, and finally at Kuroo. He tilted his head slightly and gave an eerie smile. His lips cracked as the smile got wider and his eyes widened. Hiroo then pushed against the wedged bat. The bookshelf started to fall...

Kuroo jumped to push Boba away. Boba barked in surprise, but he was pushed away, close enough to be near the doorway. Kuroo covered his neck as he quickly dragged himself away from the falling books and heavy bookshelf. He was faced down, his priority to get his legs and torso out from under the falling items Hiroo gave the bookshelf a hard shove. It fell faster...

The entirety of his bookshelf landed on Kuroo right hand. He was so close to getting out too...

Kuroo bit his tongue to hold back any shout. His hand was burning immensely. 

"All that for a dog," Hiroo laughed as he shook his head. Boba barked at him again, but Kuroo held up his free hand. Boba stared at it in confusion.

"Go," Kuroo told him, "Get out of here."

Boba whimpered and nudged Kuroo's hand. He didn't want to go.

"Go!" Kuroo shouted, "Please. Go, Boba."

Boba's ears flopped down as he ran out the doorway. Kuroo sighed out and then returned his gaze to Hiroo.

"He's not even loyal," Hiroo spat out as he took his bat and wiped away any dust. He lifted it up, the bat hovering over Hiroo's head. Kuroo tried to move his hand away from under the bookshelf, but he could feel his skin being dragged against hard cover books and bits of paper. His hand was also burning more than ever, and every time he twitched one of his fingers, . Something must have been broken. 

Damnit.

He heard barking once more, he looked towards the doorway to see Boba again.

"Boba, no!" Kuroo started, "Go-"

A hand appeared, holding onto the door frame. Tsukishima came into picture, pressing his right hand onto his forehead, his eyes squeezed tightly as his fingers twitched. He was covered in bruises and scratches. He looked up at Hiroo and then pointed at him, his eyes flaring up. 

He was pissed.

"It's one thing to threaten us, but threatening an animal is just low!" Tsukishima yelled out as he ran towards Hiroo. He jumped over Kuroo and went straight for Hiroo's bat. Tsukishima grabbed it and pulled Hiroo away from the wall, using the momentum to swing Hiroo around and throwing him to the ground. Tsukishima snatched the bat away from Hiroo's loose grip and took all of strength into a single swing.

Right onto Hiroo's head.

Hiroo's hand went limp on his side. 

"Don't worry about Daishou," Tsukishima breathed out as he wedged the bat under the bookshelf, "He's out cold too." 

Tsukishima used the leverage of the bat and lifted it enough for Kuroo to get his hand away from under it.

Kuroo looked at his hand. It was all red, blue, purple, green, yellow... 

Definitely broken. 

"Wrap it up," Tsukishima said as he looked around the place for first aid, "Akaashi and Bokuto might need our help."

Kuroo looked up as he heard thumps and yelling. Bokuto had a hold of everything....

Right?

* * *

"Right!"

Bokuto whipped around to land a hit on one of the henchman's faces. It was strong enough to knock the man down. Bokuto grinned as he looked towards Akaashi, who hold one of the other guys struggling on the floor. Akaashi lifted the man up and then pulled him sharply towards his knee, hitting him right on the gut and then letting him fall back onto the ground.

"On the left!" Akaashi yelled once more as he returned to the ones who were still awake. Bokuto looked to his left to see one getting back up by supporting himself on the wall. Bokuto ran towards him and held him by the neck. 

"This may hurt you a little," he mumbled under his breath as he looked back towards Akaashi. 

Bokuto turned back to the gang member and grabbed him by the head. He head butted the man, leaving him back to falling onto the floor. From the corner of his eye he could see Akaashi's hand fly towards his forehead. Akaashi winced a little, but still managed to finish the gang member who he was fighting. 

Bokuto jogged towards Akaashi, "That should be it," he affirmed as he nodded and looked around at the mess.

"Looks like you might have to move," Akaashi noted, "If they already know the other places you could go to, maybe-"

A noise came from the door. The two looked towards the general direction to see one last gang member coming towards them.

"Let's end this coolly," Akaashi nodded as he looked back at Bokuto. He pressed himself against Bokuto, "Lift me."

"What?" Bokuto asked, a little confused.

"You know.. to do that cool thing," Akaashi explained. 

"Oh!"

As the henchman came running, Bokuto hooked his arms onto Akaashi and lifted him up against his back. Akaashi used the momentum give to him and lifted up one of his legs, high enough to reach the jaw and to strike upwards. Akaashi's foot made contact and a hard crack was heard. 

The last gang member fell down.

Akaashi jumped away from Bokuto's grip and landed softly on his feet. He looked back at Bokuto and gave a grin.

"Done!" he said as he motioned around him. 

Bokuto smiled. Usually, taking down a group would be fun, especially if it was with Kuroo. This though...

This was on a whole different level.

"Let's go check downstairs to make sure they're alright," Akaashi continued as he headed for the door, "I wouldn't be surprised if the police show up soon, so get Tofu and anything important."

Akaashi left through the doorway. Bokuto nodded and kept smiling. He went into the room in which Tofu was in. The shiba jumped off of the bed and leaped at Bokuto. He caught the dog in his arms and ruffled his fur.

Bokuto couldn't stop smiling.

It was one of the funnest fights he had ever been in. It just flowed so smoothly and it was as if Akaashi had been his partner for years.

He wanted to fight more fights with him.

Bokuto started to pack up some things in a duffel bag. He looked out the window, the snowfall getting heavier. Akaashi said he liked the winter. Maybe that's why he was in a happier mood, even throughout the whole fight.

Akaashi.

That was all that was in his mind. Despite his life just narrowly getting out of danger, he still thought of him. 

"Ah!" Bokuto yelled out in frustration as he rolled onto the floor. Tofu went over to sniff at him. 

Bokuto looked up at the ceiling. Akaashi really did know how to fight... and he was good at it. Nothing less from the top thirty. He did it so effortlessly too.

Another small smile appeared. Bokuto's heart desired a simple thing. 

Just to spend more time with his other half. 

He really couldn't wait to tell Akaashi that he was his soulmate.


	29. Stronger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The emotions of various people are awakened.

**"What?!"**

Suga watched as Daichi shot up from his chair. He clutched the phone with such force that he though Daichi would break it. Daichi muttered out a few words, said a goodbye, and then slammed the phone down. He looked up at Sugawara and gestured outside.

Something huge must have happened.

Suga nodded and went to gather the others. With the absence of Tsukishima and Akaashi, everyone was busier than normal. Especially the younger ones. Hinata and Kageyama have been bustling around, Yamaguchi had to drop all other activities in the agency to jump in too. Even Shimizu and Yachi started to join the missions more often. Thankfully, they gave the girls training as well, and Shimizu was an ex-agent to begin with. They were fine.

But he felt uneasy. Without one person, the whole flow is disrupted, but without two?

Everything is a mess.

"Oi!" Suga piped up as he opened the door of the break room, "Get ready to go out... something major happened."

Kageyama, Hinata, and Yamaguchi nodded and went to retrieve their belongings. Asahi went to the garage to get the van ready. Nishinoya and Tanaka were out on a different mission, so it looks like they would have to catch up to them later. 

Suga glanced towards Kageyama, who was covering up his neck. Winter allowed him to thrive with his clothing choice. Almost everyone knew that Kageyama's mark was tangled. Akaashi and a handful of others didn't know. It was only meant to be known to his close circle, but Kageyama couldn't hide the bottles of foundation he horded or the fact that he would only wore long sleeves, even in the burning summer. 

And only a few knew that Kageyama couldn't feel any pain. 

A unique being and rare outcome of the tangled mark.

The Birds of Prey agency was just one mess of a place. All sorts of unique agents came here, so it's no wonder why many gangs and organizations target them.

They just had to avoid one. 

The Inarizaki Yakuza. 

One of the most civilized yet vile criminals around. No one could miss their signature masks. Despite the fact that the Yakuza rarely wore masks any longer, Inarizaki wore the Kitsune mask. The fox. Not the Oni mask, known for the evil devil and clear sign that they shouldn't be messed with. The fox, which can symbolize both good and bad in their culture. It could give a friendly image to Inarizaki at first....

However, they could easily trick someone into thinking they're one of the good-bad people out there. That they'll make their half of the deal, that they'll do anything to please their clients. Then, when the client is getting comfortable...

They stab them right in the back.

The agents themselves had only had one encounter with Inarizaki. Kageyama had found one in the alley way.

It was the same day his mark appeared and then twisted.

Suga shook his head as he climbed into the van. Daichi didn't utter a word the whole way through. The agent's lips were pressed into thin lines.

Of course that would worry all of them. When Daichi doesn't speak, everyone knows that something is going down.

They got further and further away from the city. It wasn't exactly a rural area, more like the suburbs. They soon arrived at a two story apartment, the door wide open and a few police cars surrounding the place. A truck was loading on members from Snake Bite.

As soon as Asahi pulled over, all the agents went outside. Daichi walked up to the head of the unit and clapped him on the back. The officer, the young Terushima Yuji, turned around and grinned at them. Johzenji Police department was one of their closest allies, even though most agencies refuse to work with the police. 

"Sawamura," Terushima nodded in acknowledgement, "You brought plenty of backup now, didn't ya?"

Daichi smiled, "Well this does concern Snake Bite. Of course we're here to help clean things up."

Terushima led Daichi inside, Suga following in suit. Kageyama, Hinata, and Yamaguchi went in with them as well, while Asahi helped load in the capture gang members. 

The inside was a complete mess.

There were bits of wood all around the small hallways. A few stray men laid around, groaning in pain. Metal bats were scattered with other weapons. Kageyama, Hinata, and Terushima went upstairs with Daichi, while Suga and Yamaguchi went to the room and the entrance floor. It looked even worse in here. Furniture was severely damaged. Pot and pans were everywhere, and the whole place was turned upside down. 

"Wow!" Suga exclaimed, "What made Snake Bite go this crazy?"

"I heard that Daishou and Hiroo were both knocked out," Yamaguchi said in awe, "We haven't even been able to get near those two since Snake Bite secluded them."

Suga peeked into another room with a broken door. An entire bookshelf was on the floor, books splayed out from all ways. The room was decorated with band posters. A volleyball and some magazines rested on a low drawer. There were some plush toys of food, but they turned out to be squeaky toys. A dog must have lived here as well.

Next room.

Not much to see. Some gym equipment laid around. There was a bed and a few other pieces of furniture around. Suga didn't really take much into the room since not a single square was touched.

"Wait," Yamaguchi suddenly spoke up. He was hovering over the bed. Yamaguchi picked something up from under the sheets. It was a pair of white headphones. Beaten down and adorned with a single sticker on the left side. 

A green dinosaur.

Suga's eyes widened.

"Tsukishima's... headphones?" he muttered, staring at them blankly.

"Sugawara... who's house is this?" Yamaguchi asked, holding the headphones close to him. 

"Kuroo Tetsurou and Bokuto Koutarou."

It was a different voice that said that.

Suga turned to look at the doorway. There stood Oikawa Tooru- the head of Nekodorani agency. The man snapped on his gloves and leaned against the doorway, "This establishment... is the home of our agents."

"Then why?" Suga started to ask, "Why was our agent here?" he continued as he gestured towards the headphones. If Tsukishima was here, then Akaashi should have been here a well.

"Who knows?" Oikawa taunted, "Maybe he decided to go on his own to stop Snake Bite or maybe he got held...hostage?" he ended the remark with a sarcastic tone.

"If your agents put a single finger on them, I'll-!"

Suga stopped after he realized what he was doing. In his blind rage, he had gotten close enough to Oikawa to slap him. His hand was hovering over Oikawa's cheek, twitching and waiting to strike him across the face. Suga retracted his hand and turned it into a fist at his side. There was no use in creating more problems.

Another agent from Nekodorani stood behind Oikawa, "Hey! We came here to see if anything wrong happened to our agents, not to start discussions!"

Ah. Iwaizumi Hajime. The only one who could keep Oikawa in check.

Oikawa sighed heavily, "Aye... I just wanted to have some fun," Oikawa lazily glanced back at Suga, "Snake Bite probably took your two agents," he said as he stepped closer to Suga, "You would know that... wouldn't you?"

Suga freezed. 

That day, if he hadn't gotten caught by that one supplier, he could have gotten in at night to save the two. Suga went in the next day with his unit, but everything was gone. There wasn't a single gang member in sight. All that they found was some frayed ropes and a pair of broken glasses.

That arrogant agent didn't need to put salt in his wound.

Suga placed a hand on Oikawa's shoulder, his grip tightening, "Nekodorani... will be in trouble if you do have something to do with them. Mark my words," he declared. Oikawa wasn't paying attention to his words.

Oikawa was just staring down at his mark. The aqua hexagon on his hand. The lost soulmate that he wouldn't be able to find. Suga snatched his hand away when he saw Oikawa reaching for it. He brushed past Oikawa and Iwaizumi on his way out, hitting his shoulder against Oikawa's. 

A small sting shot up his own shoulder. 

Suga ignored it as he walked back to where Daichi and Terushima were. He couldn't shake off the red that he saw through his eyes. Everything was red. His blood was boiling, and Suga could feel an oncoming headache.

Man. 

He felt bad for whoever had Oikawa as a soulmate.

* * *

His palms wouldn't stop sweating.

He ran out of time.

Iwaizumi followed behind Oikawa, heading out of the entrance and into the light. It was rare for a gang to attack his early, especially considering that it was snowing. The reflection of the snow made everything white. So bright. So cold. 

He couldn't stop sweating.

They only came here to see if Kuroo and Bokuto were okay. It looked like they left. The dogs weren’t there, and all important items like wallets and identification papers were gone. The must have left for their homes in the city.

They didn't expect The Birds of Prey to be here. Of course, the police who showed up just happened to have a good relationship with them, not to mention- Snake Bite was here. The gang used to be regulated by Nekodorani, but now that they moved into a different territory, Birds of Prey had them under control.

"What are you doing here?"

Iwaizumi looked up at the sound of a familiar voice. He saw Daichi walking over slowly to them.

A drop of sweat slid down his cheek.

"We just needed to check something," Oikawa nodded and smiled, "Our agents lived here."

Daichi narrowed his eyes, "Our agents.... the ones who were missing- were here too."

"Why don't you ask you second in charge about that one, Daichi?" Oikawa sighed, "He knows what you want to know."

Oikawa walked towards the car. Iwaizumi didn't move a muscle. He couldn't move.

Time's up.

He couldn't lie anymore. Not after this. He had to come clean to Daichi.

Iwaizumi glanced towards Daichi. His boyfriend, the loving man with such warm and bright eyes glanced at him....

With eyes of disappointment.

Those brown eyes had lost their spark for a moment. Iwaizumi wanted to reach out and stop him, to tell him that he would explain everything on the spot. 

But Oikawa was watching.

With a heavy heart, Iwaizumi forced himself to go back to the car. As he opened the door to the driver's side, he looked back at Daichi.

The man stood there. His eyes still filled with disappointment. His stance was weaker than usual, as if he just got hit with a wave of sadness or stabbed with betrayal. Daichi averted his gaze away from Iwaizumi as they entered their respective cars.

Another drop of sweat slid down his cheek. He was going to lose Daichi. Iwaizumi gripped the wheel, squeezing it hard enough for his nails to leave marks. He could feel his breath becoming short and the anxiety was overwhelming. He had to tell Daichi today. It had to be today...

Time was up.

* * *

Meanwhile, the fantastic four stood at the fork of a path. Kuroo stood in the middle, holding the leashes of the two dogs and carrying a cat, who was poking her head out of the green backpack. He felt tired of listening to this conversation. 

"Okay, so let's run this down," Bokuto repeated for the fifth time, "Akaashi told me that he already found an apartment during the time he stayed with us. He asked one of his friends to move all of his stuff into the new apartment. The old one is now fixed up, so Akaashi doesn't live there anymore-"

"That's not very important, Bokuto," Akaashi said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know, but I like details in explanations. Anyways," he returned to speaking, "Tsukishima. Snake Bite doesn't know where you live, right?"

Tsukishima crossed his arms, "Yeah... I always change my address on my documents. But-"

"Good, but Snake Bite knows every location Kuroo and I have been in," Bokuto continued, "So that means that I'll have to go with Akaashi, and you can take in Kuroo!"

The blonde sighed, "Couldn't I go with Akaashi back to my apartment, and then Akaashi could lend you and Kuroo the new one?"

"See, at this point, we're all targets," Bokuto solemnly nodded, "So it doesn't really matter where we go, Tsukki. You two however, are bigger targets than us. If anything, if you two were found together, you know that those criminals would do everything in their will to take both of you down."

"First of all, it's Tsukishima, not Tsukki. Secondly, I'm pretty sure we can handle-"

"Be honest, Tsukki. They already know your weak points after facing you TWICE. Also, they wouldn't bother with us anyway. Didn't you notice how they were probably taunting Kuroo just to hand you over? I mean- they charged straight for Akaashi before they did for me. At this moment, they only care about you guys. We're just pushovers."

Kuroo spoke up, "No we're not-"

"So, what I'm trying to say is that, yes, we're all at risk. Snake Bite moved because they were scared of Nekodorani and underestimated you guys. If they send out anyone else to go for you two, they wouldn't suspect us being paired like this because of what happened."

The other three thought about it.

Made sense...but not really?

Kuroo sighed. Bokuto probably wanted to confront Akaashi about something. He knew what it was. He didn't want to ruin it for Bo.

"Tsukki! Let's just go home already," Kuroo proclaimed as he grabbed Tsukishima's wrist, "Here's Tofu. Have a nice day!"

"Wait! This is against my will!" Tsukishima hissed as Kuroo dragged him away, moving into the left side of the fork. 

"Listen, Bo wasn't going to give up," Kuroo sighed, his irritation getting to him. God! He needed to relief this stress somehow. Kuroo glanced back at Tsukishima, "I'll explain when we get to your place. I know where it is, you gave me the address, remember?"

"Then why are we going the wrong way?"

Kuroo stopped and dropped Tsukishima's wrist. Huh. This was the wrong street. 

Must have been the right fork.

"Well now you tell me!" Kuroo said as he narrowed his eyes at Tsukishima, "You call me a pain-in-the-ass, but you're the real one."

"Thanks."

Kuroo sighed and shook his head. Ugh. He was tired. Tsukishima must have been too. It wasn't far from here, but it still seemed like forever.

"Instead of going "home"," Tsukishima remarked, "We should probably go to the hospital. The adrenaline rush from earlier isn't going to cover up the real pain of that fracture."

Oh. His hand. 

Kuroo looked down at his broken hand, the wrapped bandages loosely covering the fracture area. He didn't even remember about it. Everything just went by so fast. It was all a blur since it ended rather quickly. 

Tsukishima was right though. It could get worse-

Huh.

That was the first time Kuroo had heard any concern for him from Tsukishima. Tsukishima had seen him fight before, but he never asked about any injuries or worries. This was really the first time he heard Tsukishima utter words of concern. Well... not the really nice ones, but it still counted.

It was surprising.

The two headed for the nearest clinic. Kuroo looked over at Tsukishima, his steps matching in rhythm to the blonde's. They walked side by side, Tsuksihima occasionally glancing down at the broken hand and then back at his cat, Twix. Boba trotted behind them, looking up at the snowfall that was starting to get heavier. Kuroo looked ahead of him. His lips twitched into the tiniest smile.

Considering that he was going to be living with Tsukishima didn't phase his at first. After seeing that small act of concern though...

He could help but to think things were going to get interesting. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to split it, but then there would be too short of a chapter, so I put it all together.


	30. Heartfelt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi comes clean with Daichi.  
> Kuroo gets drunk and Tsukishima is left to deal with it.

Iwaizumi sat alone at the red booth. _Moonlight_ was empty, and only a few workers and bartenders were cleaning glasses and collecting plates. He looked at his watch, the time reading 4:01 p.m. His leg bounced up and down and his hand shook a little.

The last time he was this nervous was when he had to kill someone by hand- a special request through the client. Iwaizumi was specialized in sharp shooting, not strangling and torture. That was low-key Inarizaki behavior....

The door opened, and the little silver bell ringed lightly. Iwaizumi snapped out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Daichi, the man going straight to the booth and sitting across from him. Daichi looked at him, crossed his arms, and then huffed.He relaxed a little, and those brown eyes became ever so tender. 

"Hajime...."

Iwaizumi could feel his eyes starting to sting, "Before you say anything, please let me explain."

Daichi fixed his gaze on him once more, "I'm going to," he said softly, "Go ahead." 

Iwaizumi sighed shakily, "I know I lied. Many times. I know you're smart too. You probably know that Oikawa was taunting and bluffing to Suga... and you're probably not taking the excuse that Snake Bite decided to take their hostages to a fight scene."

"That was a little odd," Daichi murmured.

"So, I'll tell you the truth," Iwaizumi nodded as he looked at Daichi, "I'll tell you everything."

Daichi gestured for him to go on.

"A while ago... Shiratorizawa asked for a target to be eliminated- slowly, but surely. It was done out of spite because of an event you guys were in charge of.... when Johzenji Police Department asked for you guys to capture Ushiwaka."

"Ah... that was bad..." Daichi said as he shook his head. 

"Tsukishima set the house on fire as a last resort. He was in danger, along with Akaashi. You guys fled the scene quickly and declared it as a failure," iwaizumi continued, "But you left some major damage....aside from the house."

Daichi's brow started to crease and furrow.

"Ushiwaka's fiance was caught under the building fire. Shibaru.. he was left paralyzed waist down. He can't move," Iwaizumi shook his head, "Ushijima already had the stress from Inarizaki stealing their territory. He decided to take out his wrath on your agency."

Iwaizumi focused his gaze once more... hesitating to say the next words.

"He ordered Kuroo and Bokuto... to kill Tsukishima and Akaashi."

Daichi's eyes widened, "No..."

"But, Inarizaki had other plans.... they wanted to beat Ushiwaka to the punch. They wanted him to go into a blind rage, and once Shiratorizawa was at their weak point: Inarizaki would take over their territories and allies."

Daichi gripped the table, "And...?"

"They hired Snake Bite to go for them. Snake Bite succeed in capturing them... but then our agents went for them. Kuroo and Bokuto went for them. They could have gone out the easy way and let the dirty work be done, but they went for your agents. And you know what else?"

Daichi looked back at him.

"Kuroo and Bokuto housed them from October to November. I searched for any sign of your agents blood or any used weapons. Not a single scratch or drop of blood of theirs found on site. They're okay," he reassured, "I feel like our agents aren't willing to go through with it for some reason.... and now Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki are getting impatient."

"Why- why? Why couldn't you tell me this before?" Daichi sputtered, taking in all the information.

Iwaizumi tensed a little bit, "I was scared."

Daichi came back into reality at the sound of his voice. Iwaizumi could feel it get shakier.

"Ever since I got into this field of work... everything has been going so fast. So much stress. You know I'm tough mentally and physically," he started to blabber, "but this is one of the few times I felt absolutely hopeless. I felt like I was going to lose my self and sanity because of how much we have to put up with... because of Shiratorizawa."

"Hajime..."

"But then I met you," he smiled a little, looking around, "Everything started to clear up.... you're like my sanctuary. I got stronger. I can deal with all sorts of things because in the end, I know you'll be there for me. I didn't tell you because I was scared to lose you..."

Oh... he felt his eyes starting to water.

"I know how much you love your team," he accepted, ready to take in whatever Daichi would say, "So if you're mad at me for lying to you this whole time or if you're resenting me because I didn't stop any of this," he took in a breath of air, "I won't be surprised. I wouldn't blame you for wanting to break... to break-"

He stuttered over the words, his lips crumbling every time he tried to pronounce each syllable. Iwaizumi leaned over the table and buried his head into his arms. He felt his sleeves getting damp from a few tears that fell.

He couldn't even bring himself to say it.

Iwaizumi felt the gentle touch on his head. He didn't want to look up. He had never gotten this emotional in front of Daichi. Iwaizumi sniffled, a small hiccup came out. Embarassing... this was embarassing. He shouldn't have gone into so much detail-

"Haji...look up please."

To think he might not hear that endearing nickname again. Iwaizumi reluctantly looked up, wiping away any tears left. Daichi's arms were on the table, crossed with his head resting on them. They were at eye to eye level. Brown eyes looking into green eyes. Daichi stared at him for a few moments.

"This is this first time I've seen you cry," Daichi murmured, ruffling Iwaizumi's hair lightly.

"It's not that fascinating," Iwaizumi mumbled, hesitating for a moment, "...Are you going to break up with me...?"

Daichi shook his head softly, "No... why would I ever do that?"

Relief flooded Iwaizumi. More tears started to form because of how overwhelming it was.

"You were brave enough to tell me," Daichi continued, "You knew what could have happened, but you still told me everything... and for that I'm thankful. You really do have a lot of trust in me... so I'm returning it to you."

Daichi extended his hand to reach Iwaizumi's cheek. His thumb swept across softly to wipe away the falling tears.

"I trust you, Hajime," Daichi smiled, "I'll keep trusting you. I will still be your sanctuary and you'll be mine."

Daichi's eyes sparkled a little, "It's been almost two years- and it's unbelievable, but neither of us have said this seriously yet...."

**"I love you."**

Iwaizumi sat up a little. Those three words. They've said it playfully, they've said it sarcastically... but this time.

It felt different. 

Their soulmate connection became warm and fuzzy. If it could be seen, it would have been golden, and so beautiful. The clinking of glasses and plates stopped. There was no one around other than a customer who was still waiting for something, but it felt like they were the only ones there. Even from the corner of his eye, Iwaizumi could see outside, the soft colored afternoon looking so crisp... so pretty. Everything felt tender and comforting.

"You're going to make me cry even more Daichi," Iwaizumi sniffed, rubbing his eyes. He looked up at Daichi and smiled.

**"I love you too."**

The two just smiled. Daichi spoke up after a while, "We'll get Tsukishima and Akaashi back soon, but it's reassuring to know that they're okay. We'll deal with Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki when the time comes, but right now... this is what's important right now."

Their relationship was building up. After a heartfelt confession, everything was starting to clear up and become better. Their relationship was moving forward. Everything would be alright.

They are going to be alright.

* * *

Why does he always end up hearing stuff he shouldn't? 

They left the hospital after a while. His hand was broken badly, but he still offered to go get some food for later, since he couldn't cook. Apparently, Tsukishima wasn't the best cook, so he was used to getting takeout. So he left Tsukishima with his stuff, and he headed to the closest restaurant around: Moonlight. 

All he wanted to do was to pick up some food. Even though there was no business, it took a while for his order to come out. So, he sat at the bar, asked for a water, and was still waiting. Turns out, they ran out of cheese. What's a cheeseburger without cheese? 

Kuroo stared at the bar for a while. He hadn't had a drink in a while. One wouldn't hurt him that much, right? He could always take a cab back too. One turned into two, two went to three. Time kept going. 

He just sat there, not minding the other couple that sat in a booth. Until he heard a familiar voice.

Kuroo glanced over for a little bit, using the adjustment of his beanie as an excuse to look over. The pair seemed to be having a small discussion. Or was it a fight? A confession?

He saw the familiar spiky brown hair. Iwaizumi? Was he... crying?

Oh. A breakup. Was that what it was?

No. The other one was murmuring something softly and reassuring Iwaizumi. The two looked at each other, but there was only one talking. Iwaizumi was crying, but the other half wiped away his tears and said those three words. He hear them from how quiet it was.

Iwaizumi had sat up, "You're going to make me cry even more Daichi."

_Daichi-_

**Daichi?!**

As in... Sawamura Daichi? As in the leader and head of The Birds of Prey agency? 

The drinks just kept coming as he waited and drowned his thoughts. Did Sawamura know about them? How long have they've been together? Does Oikawa know about this? Aren't they from rival sides? Didn't the leaders and second in charge have bad blood? How long did it take for them to accept each other?

Is it really possible to be together with your rival agency? 

More. more. More questions started to consume him. Tsukishima said that they couldn't even be friends because of where they came from. Sawamura and Iwaizumi had a who relationship though. It seemed like they've been together for a while too. They've also managed to still have time for each other despite busy schedules. Not only that, but Kuroo hadn't heard anything about them from either agency. They must've kept it a secret....

Ah. Everything was starting to get fuzzy and drowsy. How much did he drink? 

Kuroo looked down at a tray of empty shots. When did he get these? 

He glanced back over at the booth. They were gone, just two empty glasses sat at the table. Did time really pass by that quickly? 

Kuroo squinted at the clock... 5:30?

"Ah! Sorry for the delay, but we were waiting for you to leave to give your food warm," the bartender piped up, "Would you like it now?"

Kuroo just nodded and put down his card. The bartender politely nodded and took the card. He hadn't drank this much since college. Maybe because he was in a bar he had the craving for alcohol...

But it also helps get things off the mind.

Tsukishima hadn't been super open to him.... but lately he had been showing tiny acts. He could have let Kuroo die, but he moved him out of the way before the arrow came through the window. He could have ran away and allow Hiroo to end him, but he helped him and Boba. And again... he could have just abandoned Kuroo, but- reluctantly- he let Kuroo stay at his home.

Huh.

Hehe. That's kind of funny. Kuroo didn't want to be related to Tsukishima before, but now look at him. He was trying to get close. 

Was Kuroo finally chipping at the walls? 

"Here's your food," the bartender smiled as he handed him a take out bag, "Please get home safely."

"Safety is my middle name!" Kuroo blurted out as he grabbed the bag and turned to the door. 

Uh oh. It was starting to hit him... it was at the point where he was half conscious of his actions, but soon he'll be an absolute mess. 

"Ha!" Kuroo laughed as he went out into the open, ready to hail a cab.

"I wonder how Tsukki will deal with this." 

* * *

Did it really take that long to get a burger?

Tsukishima was sitting in the living room, Twix on his lap and Boba laying down next to him. The dog looked at him, whining occasionally. He would nudge at Tsukishima's free hand or lick it. Pats. He wanted pats and scratches. That's what Tsukishima had been doing for the past hour or so.

"You're just like your owner, you know?" Tsukishima sighed as he petted Boba, "You both want attention, your hair is a mess, and you don't know personal space."

Boba just smiled and looked up at Tsukishima. 

"You're also very content with what you're doing, even if it can be annoying," Tsukishima mumbled, scratching Boba's neck. 

Twix jumped down from Tsukishima's lap and went up to the entrance of the apartment. She started to paw at the door, meowing to the closed entrance. Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrows. She's only does that when someone's outside, usually Yamaguchi. He didn't know Tsukishima was back though....

Tsukishima got up and walked towards the door. He opened it, looking outside the hallways. It didn't seem like anyone was out here. He looked down, thinking that nothing would be there.

He was wrong.

Kuroo was reaching for his leg while holding up a take out bag.

"Delivery... that'll be 17.86, would you like to pay in cash or card?" he slurred out as he tugged at Tsukishima's pants, "I don't got all day! I work on too many hours and minimum wage!"

Kuroo giggled a little, "Wait a minute... I'm an agent!" he laughed, looking up and his face quickly changing to a serious one, "You. You’re on my hit-list. You die tonight!" he exclaimed as he put the bag down and wrapped his arms around his leg, "BEGONE BLONDE!"

"Oh my god," Tsukishima drawled ad he pinched the bridge of his nose, "I didn't know alcohol was good with burgers, Kuroo."

Kuroo snapped his head up, "Oh? Tsukki? It's you! I almost killed you, ya know?"

"Yes, yes Kuroo, my life flashed before my eyes," Tsukishima muttered as he picked up the bag of food, "You shouldn't have done that. Drink, I mean. What do you think will happen to your hand?"

Kuroo staggered up, leaning against the doorway, "I am invincible, Tsukki. Nothing will stop me... nada!"

Tsukishima set the food down on the table and went back to the living room. He sat back down, watching as Kuroo held himself up using the wall. Kuroo eventually made his way to the couch, and plopped right next to Tsukishima.

"You reek of whiskey," Tsukishima noted. 

"Hmm... yeah. That's the good stuff," Kuroo hummed. The black haired man was starting to slump towards Tsukishima, tilting more and more. Tsukishima tried to shift away, but there was nowhere to go. Kuroo would probably follow him anyway. 

Eventually, Kuroo was slumped over Tsukishima, his head landing on Tsukishima's arm.

"Geez, no wonder why you couldn't stay up," Tsukishima mumbled as he shifted uncomfortably, "Thick skull." 

"No, it's because I'm smart," Kuroo pouted, looking down at Tsukishima's arms, "Eh? You put a smiley face where your mark is!" 

Tsukishima forgot to take it off. It was worn out and slightly crumpled, "That was a while ago."

"Hey! I'm not ashamed of being your soulmate, so why are you?" Kuroo complained, taking off the sticker, "You should have used a frown face to match your sour face."

Calm down Tsukishima... just wait till he passes out and it'll be fine.

"You know Tsukki, I know a lot of secrets," Kuroo smiled, scooting closer to him, "And soooo many of them are about soulmates- which by the way...."

Just a few more hours. Just a few more-

Kuroo's hands grabbed his face. He turned Tsukishima's face towards him, "Pay attention! This is important."

"Okay, okay," Tsukishima complied, feeling uncomfortable, "I'm listening."

Kuroo dropped his hands away from Tsukishima's face, and clapped once, "Okay! So. Today. I saw not one, but two.. TWO agents who I recognized. BUT... I won't tell you who they are, because that's a secret," he ended with a small laugh.

"Apparently, they're soulmates and a couple! Two agents from different agencies.. together. I didn't now Sawamura was capable of that!" Kuroo smiled, but his face dropped quickly as he slapped his hand over his mouth, "Whoops!"

Sawamura... was dating someone from another agency?

"Well at least you don't know that his boyfriend is Iwaizumi- goddammit!" Kuroo hissed as he slapped his forehead this time, "That was also a secret!"

"Huh?!" Tsukishima yelped, "You mean, Iwaizumi Hajime? You're telling me, that our leader... is dating your second lead?"

"If you think that's surprising, wait till Bokuto tells Akaashi that he's his soulmate- oh my god!" Kuroo exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air, "Way to go Tetsurou! Just spill the beans won't you!"

"Well, that one isn't as surprising," Tsukishima nodded, "We all seem to be connected somehow."

"Still a secret though, so don't tell Akaashi," Kuroo whispered as he stuck out his pinky finger, "Promise?"

Hesitantly, Tsukishima hooked his pink onto Kuroo's, "Promise," he blandly stated.

"Good- wait where was I going with this," Kuroo thought to himself, "Oh! Right. Well, they're from different agencies, but they're together anyways. It looked like they were together for a long time too. So..."

Kuroo looked up at Tsukishima, a slight spark in his eyes, "Don't you think it could work out for us too? That was your main excuse, but they just proved it wrong."

"Kuroo," Tsukishima sighed, "Why are you so persistent in this? You know how I feel- you've heard me talk about why I didn't want to get with my soulmate so why? Why do you keep trying?"

Kuroo frowned, "Is it wrong for me to want to be with who fate put me with?" he said sadly. Kuroo looked into the distance, idly reaching for Tsukishima's hand. He gently grabbed it with his bandaged hand and stared at the back of Tsukishima's hand, "I hope the hand fracture won't ruin the mark. It was pretty."

Tsukishima wanted to yank his hand away, but he didn't want Kuroo to accuse him of making his hand worse.

"I used to hold a lot of hands," Kuroo reminisced, "I didn't really think much of my soulmate... maybe you felt weird pains when you were in your college or academy years. That's my bad."

"Ah yes... let's not talk about any of that," Tsukishima nodded with a slight scowl. 

"I always went around dating or playing around- oh what I am kidding. I was a playboy. A selfish bastard," Kuroo scowled, squeezing Tsukishima's hand a little, "I didn't care. I cared less about what my soulmate or what other people's soulmates were thinking. I thought I was a free soul who didn't need a mark holding me down."

Kuroo sighed heavily, "But then, I got hurt. Badly. I was with someone for a year, but it turns out they were using me to get a higher rank in the academy. I was one of the top students, and one of the favorites, ha. They turned on me. At the last second, they told the teachers that I had been cheating and using steroids to get higher marks. They faked the evidence at my dorm. I was on suspension for a while until I got tested. Even though I was clean and they ended up expelling that student.... it still hurt."

Tsukishima looked down at the hand Kuroo was holding. Kuroo's finger were wrapping around his hand.

"I thought that I was invincible. I really thought that I didn't need to pay attention to my soulmate connection. I ignored you for so long. After that happened though... I just felt something deep in here."

He placed Tsukishima's hand on the left side of his chest, "Teenage trainee Kuroo... believed that his soulmate wouldn't treat him like that. He believed that his soulmate would never hurt him... whether it be because of the risk of a tangled mark or because his soulmate believed in the connection- I believed that my soulmate- you- would never hurt me."

Kuroo blinked quickly. Ah... sentimental drunk.

But the truest of words are always spoken when drunk.

"Then I started to doubt myself again. Sure, maybe they wouldn't hurt me, but I could hurt them," he continued, "I was assigned to Nekoma once I was done, but we soon became a joint agency with others. A long time passed... and then you came along."

Kuroo looked back up at him, "But you were our rival. I went by the book and followed the unwritten rules. Don't meddle with other agents. Yet right away, boom! You shoot me and bam! Soulmates. I could definitely hurt you. So I pushed myself away. Something came up with Shiratorizawa. I know they absolutely despise you, so I knew that we can hurt you. So I kept pushing. Then I also realized that now... since we know each other, we're both in risk of dying. I tried to keep pushing... but I thought this."

"What if I was with my soulmate? Could I really bring myself to hurt them? No. I don't think I can," Kuroo nodded.

Tsukishima looked down at him.

It had to be the truth. Everything always spills when the intoxication hits.

"Could I let them be hurt? No. Guilt would loom- that and it would hurt me too. The point is... I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to let you be hurt or for you to be ashamed of being my soulmate."

Kuroo patted Tsukishima's hand that was still resting on his chest, "I've changed. I'm prime boyfriend material now!" he laughed a little, "So, if you give me a chance... I could really be someone who changes your fear of being hurt." 

Kuroo's hands grabbed his face again, this time, pulling him closer to Kuroo's own face. The man stared into his eyes. Tsukishima could see the tint of red across his cheeks. Kuroo was blinking unevenly, but the man was still smiling. 

"I want to give us a shot some day, Tsukki," he said softly, "That's what I told myself never to say... but here I am!" he giggled. 

Tsukishima didn't know how to react. He just stared back at Kuroo, looking into those whiskey eyes. It felt like deja vu... almost like the time at the gala where that's all he saw in the distance. 

Kuroo's hands eventually dropped away from his face. Tsukishima watched as his blinking became slower and slower. Soon, Kuroo closed his eyes and fell asleep. 

Tsukishima exhaled. Oh god. Was he holding his breath for that long? 

He looked down at Kuroo, fast asleep and still holding his hand- nope- now arm, against his chest. 

"You've had it rough, huh?" Tsukishima murmured as he tried to move away his arm. He felt Kuroo's grip tighten every time he moved his hand slightly. Tsukishima sighed in defeat as he sat there quietly. He couldn't risk waking Kuroo up and leading to another unnecessary conversation. 

Or an honest one.

"Would you even remember what you said when you sober up?" he wondered as he looked back at Kuroo.

Kuroo wanted to give it a shot. Sawamura and Iwaizumi were dating peacefully despite being rivals. Kuroo didn't want to hurt him and believed that he couldn't hurt him. He didn't believe in soulmates before, but now he's changed.

He wanted to change Tsukishima.

But Tsukishima, he didn't really think much of them up until now. He was doing his best to push away... so why now? Why was he thinking so hard about this? He knew what could happen- he knew very well. So why? 

Why was he so curious?

He sighed. Tsukishima could feel the drowsiness getting to him. It was a long day. They've already been through so much. This was just the icing on the cake. His eyes started to close... but his head was still filled with the overload of information. 

Could it really work?

Could they really work?

Curiosity was a funny thing, but it's trigger by such an honest or heartfelt set of words. It was the innocence of wanting... of desiring something more. It reveals the truth or it could keep a lie. It could kill or it could heal. It was like a double edged sword: curiosity.

He started to fall asleep as he felt the world fade away. It kept playing back in his head though. For some reason, Tsukishima's mind was replaying that one thought.

Them.

Would it work? 


	31. Manifest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning to work, Tsukishima and Akaashi still have things on their minds.  
> 

Quiet. 

The city was never this quiet. No humming cars or speeding motorcycles. It was so quiet and peaceful. It was nice and warm too. Kuroo didn't even want to think about waking up and going to work. He sighed softly and snuggled closer to the source of warmth. Nice. This was nice. It was much better than the cold floor of Moonlight-

"Ah!" Kuroo quietly hissed as he felt his hangover finally hit him. 

He opened his eyes slightly, taking in the familiar place. He was at Tsukishima's house. There was still a single light on that glowed softly. Kuroo glanced at the clock. He should have gotten here from the bar... 7 or 8-ish? It did take a while to catch a cab... what time was it now? 

5 a.m. 

Ah. He slept for almost ten hours. 

"Wow," he mumbled to himself, "That's the longest I've ever slept."

Kuroo was about to get up when he realized that something was draped over him. He looked down at the pale arm, following it up all the way to the shoulder, then up the shoulder to the face. His eyes widened slightly when he took it all in.

He was looking at Tsukishima, glasses barely hanging on to his ears and looking as peaceful as ever. His chest rose slowly up and down. Every few seconds his eyebrows would twitch slightly. 

It was the first time Kuroo saw him without any sour expressions. 

"So you did deal with me yesterday," Kuroo muttered as he gently move Tsukishima's arm away from him, crossing it over the blond's chest. He sat up a little, pausing to try to remember what happened yesterday.

He came back into the apartment, but he dragged himself in.... the delivery guy gag that usually popped up happened. 

"Eh?" Kuroo asked aloud as other images came to mind.

_"Pay attention! This is important."_

_“I didn't know Sawamura was capable of that!"_

_"Don't you think it could work out for us too? “_

_"Is it wrong for me to want to be with who fate put me with?"_

_"I've changed. I'm prime boyfriend material now!"_

**_"I want to give us a shot someday, Tsukki.”_ **

Kuroo fell back into the sofa, "I didn't," he softly told himself, "I didn't say that..."

No. He couldn't have. Kuroo didn't have his anything set yet.... his heart just spoke out before his mind did. He couldn't have said that. Right? Maybe it was just the alcohol. Intoxication did weird things to people- naturally, he must've said that just for the fun of it...

"No," he murmured to himself, "I wouldn't lie to him after I heard his story..."

When?

When did all of this happen...

He glanced towards Tsukishima. The blond shifted around, giving a soft sigh before opening his eyes. Kuroo stared into those golden eyes, small speckles of a deeper yellow hanging in the background. He stared back at Kuroo, scanning his face before it scrunched up a little.

"Take some medicine," Tsukishima quietly mumbled, "I have a massive headache now because of you."

Tsukishima got up and went to his room. Kuroo watched as he walked away, leaving Kuroo alone. Kuroo ran his hand through his messy hair, fixing it slightly, but then ruffling it up again. 

Was Tsukishima ignoring it?

Kuroo went into the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and looked in the drawers for an Advil. He took two when he found the bottle and washed it down with the water. Kuroo winced slightly. He knew he shouldn't be moving his hand so much, but it was hard to do anything without moving it. 

Kuroo then took a peek into the fridge. There was a carton of eggs and very few vegetables.The rest was boxes of takeout and drinks. Kuroo frowned as he took out an onion, the few small bell peppers that laid around, and the eggs. Ah! Cheese. There was cheese. Hallelujah. No tomatoes though. 

He made sure that nothing was rotten or expired. Kuroo looked around for a cutting board, but there was none. He shrugged and just took a plate and a sharp knife. His support bandages still allowed him to move his fingers... but it was still stinging.

He washed the vegetables and started to cut them. He flinched every time he had to move the knife over to cut or dice. In the attempt to try to go faster, Kuroo dropped the knife as he felt another sharp pain in his finger. He stared at the cut, fresh blood seeping out.

Tsukishima came out of his room, his backpack slung over his back and a box of band-aids in his hand. Tsukishima opened the box and pulled out a red band-aid that was decorated with small drawings of a t-rex.

"I didn't ask for you to cook," Tsukishima pointed out, "Would it really kill you to not do anything for once?" 

Tsukishima gestured towards him finger. Kuroo stuck out his finger and looked back at Tsukishima. The blond unwrapped the band-aid and wrapped it around the cut, "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if I die because of how much you get injured. Are you trying to kill me or something?"

He kind of wanted to tell the truth....

"Hey, you've been hurt way more than I have," Kuroo argued, "Don't you think you're the one trying to end me?"

"Perhaps."

Kuroo rolled his eyes slightly, "I just wanted to make a decent breakfast. All you have is takeout."

"Yet, I'm still a plank and perfectly fine," Tsukishima retorted as he wrote something down and placed it on the fridge, "There's my number in case if someone comes to kill you. Don't move too much or else it'll affect my hand too."

Tsukishima just grabbed his jacket and went out the door. Kuroo was left alone once again. He stared at the band-aid.

"Seriously?" he laughed a little, "So mature but still kid-like."

Kuroo smiled softly. His smile faded slightly when he realized.

He could be catching feelings.

"Tetsurou!" he told himself as he slapped his cheeks lightly, "Figure everything out before anything else happens! You know that if he finds out about the mission something bad will happen. The mission itself..."

Oikawa was probably going to call them in about it. It was at the halfway point. Four months have passed. If another two or three go by, Shiratorizawa definitely would come for their throats. A whole entire agency could go down. It would be literal chaos. 

But he didn't want to hurt him.

He really didn't. 

* * *

"You're back!"

Tsukishima was enveloped in a hug from Yamaguchi. His speckled friend pulled away to look at him with watery eyes, "It's been too long!"

"Almost four months," Sugawara noted, "Between your kidnapping near the end of September, to where ever the hell you were for the other two months, it's great to have you back."

"We're far behind because of you," Kageyama slightly scowled, "Some of our clients dropped us."

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, "Why aren't you scolding Akaashi too?"

"He's older than me. I respect that," Kageyama retorted as he crossed his arms. 

"I'm older than you too, but you don't respect me!" Hinata called out. Kageyama turned to him and started arguing. They eventually started jabbing at each other. Just the daily thing. Sawamura sent Tanaka to break the fight before anything got broken.

"Great to have you back!" Sawamura welcomed, clapping his back, "You too, Akaashi."

Akaashi, who was standing at the frame of the closet room, nodded, "We're all good and ready to go. Send us out, leader."

Tsukishima still thought of what Kuroo said yesterday. Sawamura and Iwaizumi. What an odd match. He would have never thought that those two would ever end up together. Fate was a strange thing. 

"Just patrols today," Sawamura responded, "Nothing too hard for you guys. Especially since your injuries may not be fully healed." 

Akaashi looked at Tsukishima’s arms. Tsukishima could see the bruises and scratches from the fight with Snake Bite. He looked down at his own arms, a few spots of purple and blue fanning out. There was a huge bruise over his soulmate mark.

He kept thinking about those drunk words.

"Tsukishima, you can go with Hinata and Yamaguchi. Akaashi with Suga and Kageyama. I'll go with Asahi and Nishinoya. Tanaka, stay here with the girls. There are some important calls coming in, so I need you to help with those deals we've been talking about. Ask Shimizu about it too," Sawamura ordered.

"All right. Break!"

Tsukishima was soon in casual clothes in the heart of Tokyo. Northern Tokyo was Shiratorizawa territory. Southern was Inarizaki. The heart was home base to many gangs and agencies- Nekodorani and Birds of Prey being on the outskirts of the city. This was the field of Iron Wall- the Robin Hood like neutrals. They were like agents, but they only worked for certain deeds. They were also like criminals because they would deliberately steal, but then they would contribute it to giving out supplies or food. They rarely killed, but if any violence was to come out, they would only beat the target until they pleaded for mercy. Then they would squeeze out anything useful from them and leave them be.

They were strange. 

"Tsukishima, you missed out on so much," Hinata started as the looked around, "I got my soulmate mark!"

Hinata shoved his hand into Tsukishima's field of vision. He stared at the orange sun on Hinata's palm, "Didn't you guys said you were EXTRA busy? Is this the important work?"

"Hey, I got it when I was checking to see if you were dead at your apartment or something," Hinata pouted, "Your friend is my soulmate. The one with puddin like hair."

Friend? He didn't have a friend like-

Oh. Kuroo's friend.

"Ah," Tsukishima nodded, "Him."

"Tsukki, you seem a little docile now," Yamaguchi noted, "Are you okay?"

"To be honest, that's creepy. Even when you were hurt, you still managed to be so sour and stingy," Hinata helpfully added on, "Did something happen while you were gone?"

For once, Tsukishima really needed to talk to someone other than Akaashi. He had already heard Akaashi's perspective on this, so it would be useful to hear someone else's opinion this time. He didn't want to be super obvious about the whole rival agency thing though.

"So I ran into some agents while I was away- you know them, the ones from Wakutan. Apparently one of them has a rival agent as their soulmate. They were telling me that recently, the agent asked them for a chance at a relationship," he sighed, "I just keep thinking... how is that possible?"

Hinata rubbed his chin, "There could be complications... but wouldn't you just do it?"

Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrow, "What?"

"They asked them directly, right? Doesn't that mean that they have enough trust in the other?" Yamaguchi added, "If they trust their rival that much, it probably means that they genuinely just want a soulmate. A normal life for once... even if it's only for a few hours a day or at certain places."

"Wouldn't they want to know about _them?_ " Hinata continued, "Just to see them as a normal person. Not to mention, there could be risks in their own lives, but they still had the guts to ask their rival out. That's just dedication right there."

Dedication.

Was Kuroo serious? Did he really mean it?

If he really trusted Tsukishima that much to ask, was it worth it? Even after all he saw, was it worth it?

He didn't know.

Everything was mixed up once again.

* * *

"Inarizaki, huh?" Sugawara asked aloud. The Southern part of Tokyo was filled with allies. Restaurants, markets, phone repairs, and more little stores were tucked away in those allies.

In one of these, a small hideout of Inarizaki's was here. Normally, they didn't mess with them, but due to the sudden increase in Yakuza activity, they decided to check out if anything strange was happening.

Akaashi walked along side Kageyama and Sugawara. Early morning, where no one other than the late night drinkers were. That and the possibility of the Miya twins lurking around. The allies were a perfect place to conduct business. Tucked away and small. 

"Oh, they have a lot of soulmate readings here too," Sugawara pointed out as he looked into a store window.

Soulmate readings. They were for the people who couldn't find their soulmates or those who believed that fate was wrong. Their mark or the "ghost of their connection" would be felt and read. It would either determine how their soulmate looked like or if it was really a good match.

"Akaashi, have you gotten your mark yet?" Kageyama cautiously asked, rubbing his the back of his neck. 

"No," Akaashi hummed sadly, "but I'm sure they'll pop up. Although..."

Kageyama tilted his head, "Although?"

"I like someone. And I know that they already have their mark," Akaashi confessed. Kageyama nodded slightly. He looked like he wanted to say something.

"My mark-"

"I know," Akaashi gently said, "It slipped out of Tsukishima's mouth. Don't worry, I gave him a scolding for not keeping it safe. And it's okay. I don't see you as any less."

Kageyama stared at him and released a breath, "I was going to tell you myself," he muttered, "but my mark. My tangled mark. It came out of one of these allies."

The younger agent gestured to the allies around them, "They rejected me right away... because the person they loved was with them. They didn't even bat an eyelash after attacking."

"You don't mean...?" Sugawara jumped in, his eyes slightly widening.

"The encounter I had with Inarizaki. It was so dark that I couldn't their face clearly... but my soulmate. They're from the Inarizaki Yakuza."

They fell silent for a moment.

"Akaashi. I don't know what to say," Kageyama said honestly, "I just don't want anyone I know getting this," he gestured to his neck, "just because they refused fate. It's a burden. I didn't even get the chance to know the person. You never know if your soulmate could be better than the person you like though."

"Kageyama, enough," Sugawara sternly commanded. Kageyama quickly closed his mouth.

Akaashi hanged onto Kageyama's words.

The end result could be hurting someone else's life. If it did work out, Bokuto would either leave Akaashi or rejected his soulmate once he found them. If Akaashi clung on, it would hurt his own soulmate and himself.

What to do?

Should he just ignore his manifesting feelings? Should he just confess and get rejected? Should he actually go to a soulmate reading to get some unlikely suggestion?

Akaashi sighed. His feelings or logic. What should come first? 

He started to bite the sides of his nails.

He should deal with this soon before he fell in too deep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little late, but thank you for 2k hits!


	32. Blown Cover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and Bokuto decide to get a gift for the other agents since they've been through so much.  
> But Kuroo accidentally leaves something in the open.

Oikawa tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him. Kuroo and Bokuto just stood in front of the desk, lightly rocking back and forth on their heels. Oikawa looked up at them. He slammed his hand against the desk as he pushed forward a folder of papers for each of them. 

"Is it really that hard?" Oikawa quietly asked, "You've been tracking those two for almost four months. You guys usually work faster than this! Do I have to lay you off?"

"Snake Bite took them," Bokuto pointed out.

"Exactly... and they also attacked you because of them! They must've known about Ushiwaka's request, so they tried to bait you. You could have just ended it there once and for all, but you let them get away!"

Oikawa slammed his hand against the desk again. The two flinched slightly.

"You're lucky I'm not that pissed. Especially you Tetsu-chan," Oikawa narrowed his eyes, "I'm just going easy because of your broken hand."

Kuroo and Bokuto quietly took the folders, "Is this more information?" Kuroo tentatively asked.

"Yes," Oikawa sighed, rubbing the temples of his head, "It's on why exactly we're doing this, more on those two, and on their agency itself," he sighed heavily, then glared at them, "Just take the day off. I can't stand you two right now. Besides, you just got attacked at home. Take the time to find somewhere safer than your current apartments."

Oikawa waved them away. Kuroo shoved the folder into his messenger bag. Bokuto went to his office and left it in one of his file drawers. Kuroo sighed as he went outside and went to the car, which they rented out for the time being. Bokuto rushed up to catch up.

"Hold on!" Bokuto waved, "Where are you going?"

"Back to where I'm staying," Kuroo muttered. 

"No you're not. You're coming with me to the mall," Bokuto happily intervened, "I have the keys, remember?"

"Bo, I'm really not in the mood-"

"That's why we're going."

Kuroo sighed, "At least let me drop off my things and get some money."

Bokuto soon took Kuroo back to Tsukishima's apartment. Kuroo quickly entered the apartment, taking off his messenger bag. He was about to leave it in the closet, when he heard whimpering. Kuroo turned around to look at Boba, who was sitting patiently near his temporary food bowl.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Kuroo exclaimed when he realized that he forgot to feed Boba. He left the messenger bag on the couch and went to find his bag of things. Kuroo pulled out a small bag of dog food and some money. He stuffed the money in his pocket and picked up the bag of food. He scooped some into Boba's bowl and patted his head. 

"I'll be back soon," he murmured to Boba, "Sorry for forgetting buddy..."

Boba just stared at him before eating. Kuroo gave him a few more pats on his back before he went out of the apartment. He locked the door behind him and quickly went downstairs. Bokuto was waiting for him in the driver's seat. He opened the window and smiled at him.

"Get in loser, we're going shopping!"

With that, Kuroo was forced into the car and taken to a shopping center in Tokyo. It was later in the morning, almost afternoon. Everyone was awake and bustling throughout the town. People were rushing to the market, while others went into stores to shop for leisure. Bokuto led Kuroo into a one stop place to shop for everything. 

"Wah, stores can really be amazing sometimes," Bokuto said in awe as he grabbed two shopping baskets, "You can really just buy food and clothes in the same place."

Kuroo took the basket Bokuto handed to him, "Why did you want to come here anyway?"

"Ah. I just wanted to get a gift for Akaashi," Bokuto innocently replied, "He's been through a lot, but he still offered to take me in. Might as well repay him. You could do the same too!" 

"I guess," Kuroo nodded. Bokuto just smiled as he went on his own way, wandering throughout the clothes section. Kuroo went straight to the food section to pick out some things for lunch and dinner. He placed a few vegetables and fruits, along with some boxes of pasta and a jar of tomato sauce. Kuroo rubbed his arm slightly. It was cold in this place. 

He kind of wished for the warmth from earlier in the moring.

Kuroo wandered around, grabbing a few other things for the fridge and for his dog. Eventually, he found himself in the technology department. The newest phones and accessories were displayed in cases. He glanced for a moment at the cases, contemplating on getting a new phone case. Soon his attention was caught by a bright color.

He stared at the case containing bright red headphones. Sony headphones. Tsukishima had a pair of white ones, but he remembered Tsukishima saying that he lost them. 

Tsukishima couldn't live without music.

_"What are you listening to?" Kuroo asked one day when they were still at his house._

_"Oh... it's nothing much," Tsukishima replied quietly, "One of my friends recommended me this song. It's called "Rainbow" by Kacey Musgraves. It's a little different than what I listen to, but it's nice."_

_"What's it about?" Kuroo asked again._

_"A person doesn't realize their own worth. Someone admires them from afar and wants to tell them that they're really something different and bright. They do in the end. It's comforting the person in the end."_

Doesn't realize their own worth? Their own feelings....

"Ah," Kuroo realized.

He did mean everything. 

Kuroo had been pushing away whatever it was he felt because of fear. He was scared of hurting someone or being hurt again. Nothing was a mistake or a tease. He persisted because it was the only way he could talk to him. Kuroo didn't want his real feelings to emerge... that's why he spilled everything when he was drunk. He was thinking too much on logic and not on himself or what he really wanted.

He liked Tsukishima.

Even this morning, he noticed all the small things in him. He's been observing the small gesture and details. He even admitted to himself that he wanted to return to the warmth he felt this morning.

But...

Shiratorizawa is getting impatient. It could end up- what was he kidding. He didn't even take a glance at the papers he received today...

"Not today," Kuroo told himself, "No more excuses. You're the one who pushed first." 

He looked at the rows of headphone boxes. He grabbed one of the boxes and gently placed it his basket. 

Tonight.

He'd figure it out once and for all.

* * *

Bokuto had a collection of sweaters to choose from. 

He stared at all the colors and styles. Open, half opened, all the way to the neckline, open shoulder, no sleeve, long sleeve, short sleeve...

Too many! 

"Let's see," Bokuto asked himself, "Akaashi likes blue, red, and yellow, but he would look nice in green or pink. Red and green would be too Christmas like, and then he would only wear it once a year."

Blue and pink?

Blue and pink.

Bokuto picked out a long-sleeved cardigan. It was pattered with abstract shapes, the main color being a light serenity blue. There were light pink triangles with a few yellow circles here and there. He placed it in his basket along with some slippers.

He kept wandering around, occasionally placing in a few other things for himself. He stopped by a certain shelf though. 

The sofa decorations.

There were two plush owls sitting there. A brown one and a gray one. Bokuto didn't even have to think twice about taking them. 

"A set," he told himself, "Don't separate."

He soon went to the checkout to buy his items. Bokuto payed and took his bags. He saw Kuroo near the entrance, holding more bags that what Bokuto had. Some of the stuff was in plastic bags, but one thing in particular was in a nicer bag than the rest. 

"Oh, look at you!" Bokuto exclaimed happily, "You got your present wrapped and everything."

Kuroo smiled a little, "One step ahead, Bo."

Ah, there's the Kuroo he knew.

Ever since the incident at the academy, Bokuto noticed that Kuroo was...distant. He still acted the same, but there was something holding him back. Kuroo was cautious, but now he was tip-toeing everywhere he went. Too much caution. Not to mention, Kuroo usually just did what he was asked of now. He never allowed himself to do what he desired. He would enjoy what he had to do, but Kuroo would put everything before himself. 

Until now.

Tsukishima had reverted Kuroo back to his playful and reckless self. 

That was the Kuroo that Bokuto knew.

The real Kuroo.

* * *

Late afternoon- well, not really, but it was the afternoon.

Tsukishima arrived at his apartment and unlocked it. He threw his backpack onto the couch and went straight for the fridge. Today was a ramen day. He would just make hiself some instant noodles with a fried egg. 

He opened the fridge and peeked inside. He opened the carton of eggs he had left. There were only four left. Tsukishima just shrugged it off and took one of the eggs. He then moved to get a pot from the drawers. Tsukishima glanced at the top of the kitchen island to see if there was one there.

"Oh."

He didn't find a pot, but he found an omelette. Huh. There was a small sticky note on it. Tsukishima got closer to read it.

" _I made it anyways! Late breakfast? :P - Kuroo"_

"So that's why my hand was sore," he sighed. Kuroo must have made this once Tsukishima left in the morning. 

Well, he could always reheat it in the skillet. 

Tsukishima put away what he was going to use. Instead, he brought out the skillet and heated it up. Using a spatula, he placed the cold omelette in the skillet, reheating the food. Soon, Tsukishima just placed it back in the plate it was in. 

He finished it off in a few minutes.

"Hah... he's a good cook too," Tsukishima reminded himself. 

He was still thinking of everything that happened.

_"Shouldn't you just go for it?"_

Tsukishima stared at the empty plate. Kuroo was becoming closer to him. Even if Tsukishima didn't want to admit it, they were more on the level of friends than acquaintances. Glorified acquaintances if he must. 

And Kuroo already offered the next level.

Dedication. Honesty. Sincerity.

All of that was being displayed to him.

Tsukishima sighed as he got up to picked up his backpack. He dragged it off of the couch, the backpack being heavier than usual since he was going back on the field later. He had his hand gun with him. The backpack bumped into something. 

Kuroo's messenger bag toppled over and everything fell out.

The papers Kuroo had spilled onto the floor. Tsukishima placed his backpack down onto the couch again. He knelt down to pick up and return the papers. Tsukishima reached for a yellow folder, a few papers peeking out from it.

Tsukishima halted.

He saw his profile picture from his agency.

Tsukishima carefully opened the folder, packets of papers stuffed inside. His profile, Akaashi's profile, Daichi's profile...

They were all there.

There was a few pages on Shiratorizawa.

_"Shibaru Kentarou was left paralyzed due to a fire that was deliberately caused by the Birds of Prey agency. Ushijima Wakatoshi wants to take revenge on the Birds of Prey for the suffering of his fiance. Not only that, but the losses of territory due to Inarizaki have also been cause because BOP (Birds of Prey) haven't been keeping them in check, despite Inarizaki being close to their field. Shiratorizawa graciously asks for this request in order to move forward with further plans."_

He felt his heart drop when he turned the page.

_"The death of Tsukishima Kei and Akaashi Keiji is necessary to move forward. Please deal with it soon. It's been four months. Shiratorizawa will take over if it's not done within the next two months."_

Kill. 

Kuroo was in charge of killing him. Bokuto was going for Akaashi. 

A massive headache came over Tsukishima's head.

He crumpled the papers, his hands starting to shake. It all felt too familiar...

Lies.

Again with the lies.

The door knob turned.

Lies.

Tsukishima stared at the door as he saw Kuroo appear. His blood started to boil.

**_You fucking liar._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If you could see what I see, you'd be blinded by the colors  
> Yellow, red, orange and green, and at least a million others  
> So tie up the bow, take off your coat, and take a look around.  
> 'Cause the sky is finally open, the raining wind stopped blowing  
> but you're stuck out in the same old storm again.  
> You hold tight to your umbrella, well darling I'm just tryin' to tell ya  
> That there's always been a rainbow, hanging over your head."


	33. Sincerity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontation.

Kuroo was opening the door to Tsukishima's apartment. He held the bags of items in one hand and the headphones in another. As he took a step into the room, he looked down to take off his shoes neatly next to the door. He placed the bags of food down first, closing the door behind him. He was putting away his jacket on the hanger behind the door as he called to Tsukishima. 

"Tsukishima, I-"

He looked up. The gift in his hand fell to the floor, the clatter of the wrapped box giving a solid sound in the quiet room. Kuroo's stomach twisted ferociously as he looked at Tsukishima.

He held the papers that Oikawa gave them today, They crumpled in his hands. Tsukishima's eyes were flared up, not backing down from Kuroo's stare. He threw the papers down, slowly getting up. 

It was the same aura that Tsukishima had when he fought Hiroo and Daishou.

"Tsukishima, let me-!"

Kuroo had no time to react. Tsukishima ran straight towards him. He pulled Kuroo towards him, yanking him forward. Tsukishima turned around with Kuroo in his grip, slamming him against the coffee table with a surge of force. Kuroo winced as he felt splinters of wood up in his shirt. The coffee table was in shambles. Boba and Twix ran into the other room.

Everything was burning. 

"You don’t deserve to speak," Tsukishima huffed out, his hands shaking as he gripped Kuroo's shirt, "No. You have don’t deserve to be here at all!"

"Tsukishima! Please, just let me explain!" Kuroo pleaded. He felt the splinters digging deeper into his shirt, puncturing through the thin fabric and poking at his skin. 

"Ha! You think you can explain yourself?" Tsukishima hissed out, "You think that this is something you could fix?"

Kuroo fell silent. 

"You can't," Tsukishima whispered out, his face becoming red from anger, "You know you can't!"

Tsukishima's yelling was ringing throughout his ears, "I know that I can't... but you think that I still wouldn't try?!" he yelled back.

Kuroo pushed himself against Tsukishima, shoving the blond away from him. Kuroo gasped in relief as he stood up, brushing off as many splinters as he could. He huffed as he looked towards Tsukishima, who had stumbled into the wall. His body was burning more than ever.

"Please... let's just talk. You know that this won't end well if we fight it out!" Kuroo shouted, trying to get his words across.

"Actions speak louder than words, Kuroo," Tsukishima replied quietly. He stood straight up, tapping his feet on the floor.

 _"I'm going at you."_ his stance read. Kuroo watched as Tsukishima went to leap at him again. 

Ah. He didn't want to do this.

Tsukishima went for a right hook. Kuroo moved out of the way, Tsukishima's fist barely brushing against his cheek. The blonde was now behind him. Kuroo grabbed the closed fist that hung in the air, tightening his grip on it. He could feel his hand screaming in agony, the fracture most likely becoming worse with every twitch. He ignored it though. Kuroo ducked low, grabbing Tsukishima by his arm and lifting him over his back.

"I’m so sorry!" he yelled as he did what he thought would shut Tsukishima up for a while.

He threw him over his shoulder, making a hard impact on the floor. The carpeted area. Kuroo didn't want to break him.

The burning sensation shot up his spine. Kuroo gasped at the feeling, dropping Tsukishima's arm. He knelt down, one hand on the floor. It hurt... it hurt so much...

His eyes flew open when he saw the pale hand gripping his wrist. Tsukishima yanked it, Kuroo losing his balance and fell on his face. He tried to get up, but he was shoved back down as Tsukishima's free hand pushed down on his neck. He heard Tsukishima move around, the blond twisting his arms behind his back. There was a sudden weight on him. 

"Sorry? Is that all you can say?" he heard Tsukishima ask from behind. 

Oh. He was on him. Everything was burning, like a fire licking at his bones and muscles. 

"Is this why you approached me when you saw me in the alley? Is this why you saved me? Is this why you two were insisting on staying at certain places? IS this why you kept showing up in my life?!" Tsukishima yelled.

Every single word shot an arrow through him. Actions may hurt... but words could be much more painful in times like this. Utter betrayal and utter disgrace.

"You could have done it all those times, but you didn't. Were you trying to drag this out? Are you having fun, Kuroo? Are you?!" 

Kuroo dropped his head in defeat. Stinging pain was running up his face. 

"Why? Why didn't you just do it? Why are you making me suffer like this?" Tsukishima asked, his voice becoming quiet, "You lied."

Kuroo turned his head slightly, surprised by the sudden vulnerable voice. 

"You told me you wouldn't hurt me because you'd feel guilty. You told me that you wanted to get closer. You told me so many things.... lies. All lies!"

Tsukishima sharply jabbed Kuroo's back out of frustration. Kuroo gave a small yell, gasping out for air, "No.... no, you have it all wrong-" he started. 

"You know what? I can't take this anymore," Tsukishima laughed out, his gripping becoming tighter and tighter, "I can't stand all of these fucking lies and all of this."

Suddenly, Tsukishima got up. Kuroo sat up on his knees, staring at where Tsukishima was walking to. The blond picked up the crumpled papers he threw down. He then turned to his backpack that was on the couch, zipping it open and pulling something else out. 

He dropped a gun to the floor. Tsukishima kicked it across to Kuroo. The blond then threw the folder at him.

"Do it," he stated, his chest rising up and down rapidly.

"What?" Kuroo whispered, looking down at the gun near his knee. 

"Do it you pathetic excuse of an agent!" Tsukishima yelled, "Complete your mission!" 

Kuroo kept staring down at the gun. All he had to do was shoot. Shoot him. Everything would be solved. No more Shiratorizawa holding them by their throats, no more nagging by Oikawa, no more confusion...

No more connection that kept giving him so much pain.

Tsukishima walked over to him. He fell down to his knees. Tsukishima grabbed the gun, opening the gun to place the bullet into the barrel. He slammed it shut, shoving it into Kuroo's broken hand. Tsukishima harshly readjusted Kuroo's fingers, putting his index finger on the trigger, then raised Kuroo arm.

He placed the barrel of the gun on his forehead.

"Look me in the eye," Tsukishima asserted, "and shoot me."

Kuroo slowly looked up at Tsukishima, his fingers shaking as his hand burned. He stared into those golden eyes. Angry, upset...

Scared. Saddened.

"Shoot me," Tsukishima continued, "End it now."

Kuroo's fingers just kept trembling against the gun. Sweat ran down his face, his breathing becoming eratic. Tsukishima's eyes narrowed at him. The blond placed his hands on the barrel of the gun.

"Kill me, Kuroo," he whispered angrily, his voice starting to rise again, "Kill me!" 

He watched as Tsukishima's face crumbled down. Tsukishima's eyebrows furrowed deeply, his eyes looking from left to right into Kuroo's. His hands shook the gun as he kept gripping onto the barrel. His face twitched slightly, as if he was containing something away from him.

"To think that I was actually falling," Tsukishima quietly admitted, "To think that I believed in your words..."

Kuroo's heart dropped.

"I didn't know. I didn't know at first. You and your stupid words," he muttered, "You confused me. To think that I was actually willing to give it a chance!" he laughed a little, but the laughter soon turned into a pained scream. 

"You showed me what I thought was sincerity. I thought that fate would finally slap me in the face and prove me wrong... but no. Lies. Lies all over again! It's all fucking lies!"

Tsukishima pressed the barrel harder against his forehead, "Kill me. Just end my sorry self and end your pains! Do it Kuroo. **Do it you coward!** " 

His voice broke down, "Do it... you.. pathetic.. human being.."

Kuroo's eyes widened at the sight.

He was crying.

Kuroo was witnessing Tsukishima Kei crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks, falling onto the floor. The blond didn't wiped them away. His hands just shook against the barrel of the gun. His breathing became heavier, air heavily being exhaled from his mouth. Tsukishima couldn't control the heavy breathing. The blond closed his eyes shut.

Kuroo could just pull the trigger and end it all.

"No."

Tsukishima’s eyes slowly opened, his gaze coming up to meet Kuroo’s. Kuroo stared back into those golden eyes. He shook his head and gave a weak smile, "No. I'm not going to shoot you."

Kuroo ripped the gun away from Tsukishima's grip. He threw the gun to the other side of the room. He didn't break his eyes away from Tsukishima. Instead, he leaned forward, grasping Tsukishima in an embrace.

"Let go-"

"No!" Kuroo lightly yelled, "I won't! I'm not going to!"

He held onto Tsukishima tightly, "I'm not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you."

"Don't say that," Tsukishima weakly retorted, "It's a lie. Lies."

"I'm not drunk. I'm sober as ever. If you know anything about me Tsukishima, you should know that I would never lie to anyone!"

"But you did with your mission!" Tsukishima started to argue, "You hid it away! You kept it secret!"

"It was for our own sake!" Kuroo yelled, but then taking in a deep breath to calm himself down, "If you saw that by the time you were at my house, you would have killed me yourself since you hate me so much. If I told you in the very beginning it would have been easier for me, but... I had to sort things out with my heart and mind."

Kuroo felt Tsukishima tense up again.

"Should I kill you or not? That's what I always asked. You said you were trying to push yourself away, but in reality it was me who was pushing away. I was trying to ignore you again- yeah, you did push away too- but that's not the point."

Kuroo rested his chin on Tsukishima's shoulder, "I was scared of hurting you and myself. Just like those years ago in the academy. What if I fell in love and lost them again... all because of an agency or competition? So I was starting to ignore you again... because you are my soulmate."

He felt Tsukishima's tears roll down again.

"I was going to clear things up once and for all today," Kuroo calmly stated, "I'm being sincere. No lies. No underlying things."

Kuroo pulled away slightly to look at Tsukishima. His face was now filled with sadness, a hint of anger left. Tsukishima searched into his eyes. Kuroo stared at the ring the barrel left in Tsukishima's forehead.

He gently placed his forehead right on the ring. Kuroo stared at Tsukishima.

"I will never hurt you... and I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner," his voice starting to break, "I could care less if Shiratorizawa personally comes to kill me. I could care less if Oikawa will kick me out of the agency because of this. I'm not going to kill you. I will never lie to you again."

Kuroo looked at him again, lifting his hand near Tsukishima's cheek. He wiped away one of the falling tears.

"I've made up my mind," he softly stated.

He pulled away from Tsukishima. Kuroo glanced towards the yellow folder. He opened it, staring at all of the papers. He took them out and held them up towards Tsukishima. He held onto them with both of his hands.

The sound of ripping paper filled the room.

Kuroo shredded the paper into pieces. He just kept ripping every single packet, every single piece of paper. He ripped the request last. Kuroo threw the pieces of shredded paper into the air. They all floated down slowly.

"Mission failed," he whispered to Tsukishima, "Reason?"

Kuroo got closer to Tsukishima. He weakly smiled at Tsukishima, whose face was still examining Kuroo's eyes.

"The agent in charge fell for his target," he laughed a little, "He decided to be selfish and put himself before anything else... for the first time in years." 

Tsukishima face crumpled up again. He wiped away his own tears and then looked back at Kuroo.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll buy you a new coffee table," Kuroo sheepishly added on.

The blond laughed a little, "Pathetic," he shook his head, "You really are pathetic."

Tsukishima gave a small smile to him. The blond sighed a little and looked at him. 

"Is it worth it?" Tsukishima said aloud, "I asked that to someone. Do you know what they said?"

Kuroo looked at Tsukishima straight into his eyes.

"Just go for it. Just do it since they're showing true dedication by trusting their rival."

Tsukishima searched Kuroo's eyes once more, "I've made up my mind too."

He got closer to Kuroo.

"Once a little time passes... we'll give it a shot."

Kuroo bit his lip, his eyes starting to get watery, "Really?"

Tsukishima nodded, "I've never done this before... I've never gave anyone a second chance. To you, Kuroo... I've already given you three chances. I could have ended you all those past times, but I didn't. Curiosity lingered whenever I pushed you away," he admitted, "I'll try not to anymore. I just need some time alone to take this all in...but for once... I think I may be able to trust somebody again."

Kuroo abandoned his mission. He abandoned everything for the first time since the academy. 

He was willing to regain Tsukishima's trust once more.

He would do anything.

A huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

He did it. He was being selfish again. He felt like he could finally breathe.

Kuroo finally felt like himself again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't leave you guys hanging and I'm on a roll today. Please enjoy!


	34. On the Sidelines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto comes clean too.  
> It was a decent explanation.... but Akaashi hides his feelings pretty well.

Bokuto was still sitting in the car, parked out front of Akaashi's apartment. His fingers drummed against the wheel, while he held his phone on his other hand. The phone vibrated as more of Kuroo's messages appeared on his lock screen. 

Tsukishima had found out about their mission. According to Kuroo, it was bad. They came to a good conclusion in the end though, but it took a while for the both of them to calm down. 

Bokuto glanced nervously towards the apartment building. His situation was more... complex. Kuroo and Tsukishima already knew they were soulmates... Akaashi had no clue that Bokuto was his soulmate. He also didn't coincidentally find any of Bokuto's papers since Bokuto kept them in the office. If he did, then it would be a little easier to explain since it was out in the open, but then it could've also led to a fight or some declaration of hatred.

He tapped his head against the wheel. What to do, what to do....

"C'mon Bokuto, you got this. Just let out the mission first, then you can tell about the soulmate thing later," he told himself, "Or you can do the soulmate thing first, but if you tell him about the mission later...."

Then everything would just fall to shambles.

Bokuto sighed as he got out of the car, hauling the bags in the passenger seat with him. He closed the door and headed to the apartment. Bokuto jogged up the stairs, arriving on the second floor. Akaashi's apartment was just a few strides away from the stairs. Bokuto shook his head as he went and faced the door. He took out his key, unlocking the door and going inside. As Bokuto was unzipping his jacket, he heard soft footsteps coming out of one of the rooms.

"What's this? You didn't go to work?" Akaashi asked from behind him. 

Bokuto turned around, looking at the black haired man, "I did, but he let us go early."

He went to put away some of the things he bought, leaving the gift by the door. Tofu trotted behind him at the sound of bags rustling. Bokuto smiled at the dog as he went to sit on the couch. He plopped down, giving one last sigh. Tofu hopped up on the couch and laid down next to him.

"Must have been since you two were attacked," Akaashi hummed as he sat in the other corner of the couch, "So, what's been-"

"I have to kill you."

Why did he just blurt that out?! Bokuto squeezed his eyes shut and pulled Tofu closer to him. Everything already didn't feel right...

"What?" Akaashi whispered, "Did I do something wrong? Is it because I was too loud yesterday night? I had to finish some work-"

"No. I'm serious," Bokuto stated, glancing over at Akaashi, "I have to kill you."

"Stop joking around," Akaashi gave a chuckle, "If I did upset you in a way, I'm sorry-"

"I have a mission to kill you. You're on my hit-list," Bokuto said more sternly. Oh my god... he was making it worse. He should have taken this lightly, but he just had to blurt out the "k" word. 

Akaashi fell silent. Bokuto stared at him, then he looked down at Akaashi's hands. They slowly closed into fists. When Bokuto looked back up, Akaashi was staring at him, his eyes darkening slightly in realization. 

"You're not joking," Akaashi murmured.

"I'm not," he slowly shook his head, "I've been meaning to tell you."

Akaashi's fists relaxed slightly, "I'm listening," he said quietly, not backing his gaze down. 

Bokuto took in a deep breath. Okay, here we go.

"Shiratorizawa wanted you and Tsukishima dead because of an accident from three or so years ago. Your agency cause great damage to their lives... especially to Ushiwaka. His fiance got caught under the fire and almost died. Shibaru Kentarou is paralyzed from the waist down... because of the fire."

"Oh..."

He took in another breath, "Naturally, since you almost killed Ushiwaka's love of his life, he wants you dead. Surprise! Me and Kuroo were assigned to that right after we tackled, stabbed, and shot each other."

"Figures," Akaashi mumbled. 

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. He couldn't just load off that he didn't want to kill him because he was his soulmate. That was information overload. It would just overwhelm Akaashi. Good feelings could be cancelled out because of the bad ones. 

"I don't want to do it though," Bokuto smiled, looking at Akaashi, "You've made a huge impact on my life. From the moment you tackled me down and left me bleeding- wait no that sounds morbid. The moment I met you. The moment I met you, I knew there was going to be something different between us."

Akaashi hand fully relaxed, "Which is?"

"You make my life special. Everything is much more exciting and unpredictable. Even though everything could change, I wouldn't want to lose someone like you just because of a client," Bokuto smiled again, "I'm not going to kill you. I'm not going to hurt you."

He stuck out his pinky finger to Akaashi, "I promise you. Everything that I just said was from the bottom of my heart. If I ever break that promise- you can come find me and slap me right across the face. I promise you again. I would never hurt someone who is so important to me. I would never harm anyone who I know will be there for me. I will never ever let anyone hurt you because of this mission. I will bulldoze through any gang member or agent who Shiratorizawa throws at me. I promise."

Akaashi stared at his finger. 

Bokuto didn't get to say what he wanted. He really wanted Akaashi to know that he was his soulmate....but he had to get the mission out of the way first. If he didn't, it would have ended up hurting Akaashi even more.

"Okay," Akaashi whispered, "Thank you for your honesty. That was very brave of you to tell me directly," he said as he hooked his pinky finger onto Bokuto's, "I'm glad you see me as a good friend."

Akaashi gave a smile. Bokuto returned the smile.

It was too quick.

It was too little. Not enough. 

It could have gone worse, but it wasn't what Bokuto wanted. He didn't get to express how he really felt.

Bokuto looked down at their promise sadly.

He wondered if any sincerity got across.

When he got the chance, he wanted to reexplain it. He had to.

Next time, he would definitely tell Akaashi he is his soulmate.

* * *

Akaashi was laying in his bed, the door to his room slightly open. Only the soft lights from the hallway illuminated the room. Akaashi was facing the doorway, looking into the room across from his. 

Bokuto's temporary room.

He could have been killed. Akaashi's instincts were telling him to fight, fight, fight....

He couldn't.

Even if he could before, even though he left a small scratch on Bokuto's head, even though he wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatened him or someone he cared about, Akaashi couldn't kill Bokuto.

The moment Bokuto said the word, "kill", Akaashi's heart rate sped up. He had a feeling what was coming. When Bokuto talked about his mission, it made sense to him. Shiratorizawa lost a lot due to Inarizaki, which Itachiyama Agency was supposed to be in charge of... until they went rogue. The closest agency to Inarizaki would have been Nekodorani, but they were forces with Shiratorizawa.

That left Birds of Prey, but they had too much on their hands. They were still blamed for all of Inarizaki's doings though.

He wanted to be upset at the fact that Bokuto kept it secret, he wanted to get angry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to shout...yet he couldn't. He didn't have the will to hit or yell at Bokuto. He didn't have the heart to do anything to him.

Bokuto was too good to him.

He could have just left him to wallow in his thoughts, but Bokuto approached him when he was at 7-11. He could have not helped Akaashi at the cafe. He could have left Akaashi to rot with Snake Bite. He could have just turned him in to Snake Bite.

Bokuto could have just looked at him and with no second thought, stab him in the chest to finish him.

But he didn't.

He let Akaashi live.

Why...why did that hurt?

Akaashi could see Bokuto through the crack of the door, the door of the room he was staying in being wide open. Akaashi watched as Bokuto did some stretches. His shirt lifted up as he stretched, a bright blue mark that could be seen was proudly being displayed.

It hurt.

It hurt because he couldn't be with him.

Akaashi had never fallen this hard for someone. He's only dated once or twice, but this was the hardest time he's ever fallen for anyone. He wanted Bokuto by his side, he wanted to make Bokuto drop his soulmate for him.

That would be too selfish.

Bokuto didn't know about his feelings. He was just...

A friend.

Nothing more.

Maybe if he didn't befriend Bokuto, it would have been easier for Bokuto to complete his mission. 

Akaashi turned to face the wall his bed was against. 

If he didn't befriend Bokuto, it would have been easier for Akaashi to let go. It would have been easier to forget all of this. It would have been easier to ignore whatever he thought of Bokuto.

If Bokuto just hadn't glorified Akaashi so much...

Special.

Unpredictable.

Exciting.

Someone who he would never hurt.

If Bokuto hadn't said any of that, it wouldn't be so hard to let go.

Akaashi wiped his face as he felt warm tears spill over his cheeks. Ah. He was such a baby. No one cries over their crushes anymore. He felt himself trying to hold back, the lines in his face becoming deeper at the struggle.

He bit his lip as he felt his eyes sting even more. A sob came out of his mouth, but Akaashi was quick to slap his hand over his lips. He gripped his hand over his mouth, not letting another sound come out.

Akaashi frame shook, but he squeezed his eyes tightly. 

He didn't care.

He just wanted Bokuto to be happy....

Even if it wasn't with him.

Akaashi would be okay in the sidelines. He would be alright watching Bokuto finding the love of his life and being happy.

He didn't care. 

For now, he would just bury his feelings. He couldn't let himself be this weak.

Akaashi would just stand in the sidelines for now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments!  
> Purposely, I left Bokuto's confession with room for growth.... for later ;)


	35. Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week has passed since the events have happened.  
> The two decide to try to start the relationship properly.

Tensions have fallen. Everything just went back to its normal state. Tsukishima would go to work, then Kuroo would go and return later than Tsukishima. Kuroo would make lunch or dinner, then they would go back to work if they had to. If not, it was television, books, or other small activities to keep them busy.

Tsukishima idly moved his pencil around his crossword book. It's been a week since their huge fight. Tsukishima himself asked for sometime to collect himself from all that. 

He'll admit it.

He was brought to his breaking point then. 

Tsukishima felt like he could have actually trusted again. The moment he saw the papers though, it all went out the window. In a blind rage, Tsukishima was willing do anything against Kuroo. Everything just turned into mush. Anger and despair could make something scary when put together. Tsukishima tried not to give Kuroo any chances to talk... but then he broke.

Like a glass filled to the brim, a single drop of water caused everything to overflow.

The exact second Kuroo said the first, "sorry", it just reminded him of his brother. All Akiteru could utter was sorry... over and over again. It felt all too familiar. He didn't want that to happen again. Everything just jumbled together. He was so confused. So vulnerable. Too much. 

So he took it to his last resort.

Reap what you sow.

He thought that Kuroo would have shot him. It would have been the easy way out. Kill, dispose, and forget. Tsukishima felt so sure that the last thing he would see was the guy he was falling for shooting him.

He didn't. 

Kuroo just ripped away the gun and took him in. It was warm. Kuroo kept apologizing and refusing to let Tsukishima go. He those words he said the night he was drunk, only that time, he was sober. He was intoxicated, he wasn't out of his mind. 

It was genuine.

He threw everything out the window for Tsukishima, even if it meant losing his status as an agent.

Dedication...just like Yamaguchi and Hinata said.

So Tsukishima took the shot. He was willing to give it a try once more after a little bit.

Kuroo hadn't said anything yet.

Tsukishima stared down at his crossword again. Only his random scribbles filled the pages. He closed the book and put his pencil down. It was the afternoon. Kuroo would have been back by now. He was being dismissed early because of his hand injury. 

Their interactions have been the same as always, just a little more natural and less awkward. It was strange though.... Kuroo hadn't mentioned a single thing about that day. 

Was he already regretting?

"No," Tsukishima muttered to himself, "Kuroo said so himself he wouldn't lie again."

There was a soft knock at the door. Tsukishima looked towards the direction of it. Who would be knocking? No one ordered anything, and Yamaguchi should be at the supply warehouse today. 

Tsukishima got up and walked to the door. He opened the door, his hand still on the door knob as he looked out into the hallway.

"How can I help-"

The words hung on the tip of his tongue. He didn't finish them. Instead, the corner of his lips curled upwards slightly.

Kuroo was standing in front of him, his messenger bag over his shoulder. He was wearing something different from this morning though. In comparison to his button down and blazer from the morning, Kuroo was sporting a red turtleneck with a leather jacket over it. He had on black jeans and yellow converse on for a pop of color. In his hands...

Flowers.

He had flowers.

"Is this the home of Tsukishima Kei?" Kuroo asked politely.

"No duh," Tsukishima pointed out as he gestured to himself, "What are you doing?"

Kuroo held up the small arrangement of flowers, "I'm here to ask you on a date! You could have played along you know," he pouted.

"A date?" Tsukishima asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah... I even brought flowers," Kuroo sheepishly replied, "See, it has daisies, daffodils, and gardenias. In order that I listed, these flowers mean "loyal love", "honesty", and the gardenia means "you're lovely". Oh! Daisies can also be used for apologizing. That's for everything I've done. I planned it out pretty well if I do say so myself," he proudly stated. 

Kuroo handed the flowers to Tsukishima. He gently took them from Kuroo, "Thanks. That's really sweet... and cheesy."

"That's what you're getting out of me, Tsukki," Kuroo smiled, "Go get dressed. Unless you plan on going out in sweats, which is fine by me. I won't judge." 

Tsukishima nodded and ducked back inside. He placed the flowers down on the kitchen table. He had to put those in water later. Tsukishima went to his room, going straight to his wardrobe and opening it up.

His first date.

"Should I wear different glasses?" he asked himself as he looked into the mirror next to his wardrobe. He did have different frames, but that would be a little too much for the first outing. 

The last time he felt this excited was when Jurassic World came out. That's a lot of excitement by the way.

Tsukishima pulled out his black jeans to pair them with some black combat boots. He slipped on a black turtleneck, and over that he wore a short sleeved and loose-fitting button up. It was white with a black grid pattern. He looked in the mirror.

"I look like, as what Yamaguchi would call it, "modern punk or goth," he muttered. It didn't look bad, but it was so much black. Tsukishima stared into his wardrobe. Most of it were monotone colors with only a few stray blues or reds. This was the best he had.

Tsukishima fixed his hair at the door. He popped a mint in his mouth. He grabbed his jacket and a smaller backpack with some things in it. Take a deep breath. Here we go. First date. He was waiting for a move this whole week and now it was in front of him.

He opened the door and stepped out. Kuroo was leaning against the wall, looking down at the ground. When he heard the door close, Kuroo looked up. Kuroo's eyes widened slightly at the sight of him. 

"You look stunning," Kuroo said in awe as he looked at him up and down. Tsukishima could feel a rising heat in his cheeks. He put on his jacket and walked towards Kuroo.

"Well, impressions matter," Tsukishima replied, "Let's get going."

Kuroo smiled at him. Kuroo held out his hand to Tsukishima. He stared at Kuroo's hand for a moment before taking it. Kuroo laced his fingers in between Tsukishima's.

"Let's go."

* * *

It was a cozy little restaurant. There were umbrellas hanging off of the ceiling, the white and blue yellow colors twirling slightly. Soft lights peeked out from between them, other illuminated through the umbrellas. Some strands of flowers and lights floated down. It was pleasant.

Kuroo nervously twiddled his fingers as he observed Tsukishima's reaction. They were sitting at a table, waiting for their order to arrive. The blond looked around, his eyes twinkling ever so slightly.

Cute.

"There's a winter festival around here," Kuroo nodded, "I thought we could check it out. They moved it to the venue near here because of the snow, but it's free."

Tsukishima nodded, "It's a nice place," he said as he looked around. 

The two sat up as one of the workers came up with their order. Kuroo had ordered a brown sugar milk tea, while Tsukishima asked for a strawberry boba tea. Their sushi came in later. Kuroo ordered tuna roll and shrimp rolls. Tsukishima's egg and salmon nigiri came in a little later. Kuroo had waited to eat until Tsukishima's food arrived.

As the were eating, Kuroo had realized something.

"You really like strawberries, don't you?" Kuroo asked as he gestured to the drink with his free hand.

Tsukishima was still chewing on the boba, "What? They're the god tier berry of them all."

"I mean a strawberry technically isn't a berry," Kuroo pointed out.

"Do you want me to leave?" Tsukishima blankly stated as he glanced towards the door, raising his eyebrow slightly.

"Okay, okay! I take it back," Kuroo laughed. 

The two just chatted back and forth. It did return to the strawberry debate again, but Tsukishima quickly shut him down before Kuroo could get into the scientific side of it. Kuroo paid for the meal and left the tip. They put on their jackets and grabbed their things, heading for the venue he festival was in.

It was brightly lit with fluorescent lights. Banners, flags, signs, decorations, and more lights were strung around. There were different tents selling different things. Pottery, prints, clothes, food, accessories, and all sorts of good were on display. There were many people walking about, chatting and being friendly with one another. Photographers roamed around with their cameras. There were even temporary murals up.

They took off their jackets once again, holding their jackets with one arm while the other arm hung loosely. Kuroo took Tsukishima's hand and nodded towards the tents. The two walked throughout the displays, occasionally stopping by one of the tents to look at something.

There was one Tsukishima was lingering on. It was a stand with handcrafted bracelets and jewelry. Tsukishima let go of Kuroo's hand to pick up some glass bead bracelets. One was swirled red and white, white the other was black and yellow marbled together. Tsukishima put them down to reach into his backpack. He pulled out his wallet, and asked for the price. He nodded and took out the money. The two bracelets were placed in a small pouch and then handed over to Tsukishima. They thanked the owner and walked away. 

"Tsukki, I'm the one who's supposed to buy to get you things. I did ask you out first," Kuroo smiled as Tsukishima pulled out the red and white bracelet. Tsukishima grabbed Kuroo's free hand and clipped the bracelet around his wrist.

"You paid for sushi, Kuroo. That stuff is expensive," Tsukishima remarked, looking up at him and giving a small nod. Tsukishima handed Kuroo the other bracelet. Kuroo took Tsukishima's wrist and then clipped the other one around Tsukishima's wrist.

"They're pretty," Kuroo chirped, "Thank you."

They continued going hand in hand. Tsukishima left him for a moment to go to the restroom. Kuroo was in front of another stand that sold plushies. A round green dinosaur was staring right at him. Kuroo looked at it.

Purchased.

Kuroo looked at the bag the dinosaur was in, "I'll give you along with the headphones," Kuroo smiled to himself. Tsukishima soon came back. 

"What's in the bag?" Tsukishima asked as he stared at it.

"It's for later," Kuroo smiled again. 

They kept going around and kept buying things. Tsukishima grabbed some different colored shirts and some bowls for Twix. Kuroo bought himself a new messenger bag and two matching key chains. They were fruit cats- one was a strawberry and the other was a raspberry. Kuroo handed the strawberry one to Tsukishima. The blond contained a small laugh, but he thanked him.

Just as they were about to leave, a photographer came up to them.

"Look at this fashionable couple!" the girl said happily as she looked at the two, "Would you mind if I take some photos for my portfolio?"

She proceeded to show Tsukishima and Kuroo her past photos and projects. Kuroo looked at Tsukishima for approval. The blond thought about it for a moment, but a little later he gave a nod. The girl smiled as she led them to one of the murals.

It was a mural in which half of one side was black and white, while the other side was filled with explosions of colors. The two different worlds met in the middle to make a heart. Kuroo leaned against the colorful wall and Tsukishima was on the black and white side. The girl first took separate pictures of them, then asked for the to meet in the middle. They did their best to pose. The girl was smiling and giving compliments as she took photos.

"One last one! Give a nice smile you in the white!"

Kuroo knew a possibility on how to make Tsukishima smile.

Kuroo embraced Tsukishima and leaned over to him. He planted a peck on Tsukishima's cheek, soon hearing the small embarrassed laughed and feeling the smile rise on Tsukishima's face.

They went to look at the photos. There captured in all it's glory, was Tsukishima's laugh.

Kuroo put his hand against his chest. He would die of a heart attack at this rate.

The girl got Kuroo's email address so that she could send them later once she added a few touches. The two thanked her as they left the building.

Soon they got back home. Tsukishima opened the door to the apartment and they went inside. They put down their things and put away their jackets and bags. Kuroo went to retrieve the headphones and dinosaur plush. He sat down at the couch as he waited for Tsukishima to come out of his room.

"So, what is it that you saved for later?" Tsukishima asked as he sat next to Kuroo.

"This!" Kuroo said enthusiastically as he pulled out the dinosaur, "Your new friend."

Tsukishima took the green dinosaur and patted the top of it's head, "It's very soft."

"Oh, I also got this," Kuroo nonchalantly said as he pushed the headphones towards him. Kuroo tried not to show any expression to get a good reaction. Act cool Tetsurou, act cool.

"You didn"t," Tsukishima whispered as he looked at the headphones.

"I did," Kuroo smiled, "I was going to it to last week, but then you threw me on the coffee table instead."

Tsukishima put his hand against his mouth to cover a chuckle, "I'm never going to get away from that am I?"

Kuroo shook his head, "Nope! Do you like them?" he asked as he nodded towards the headphones.

Tsukishima nodded, "I needed a new pair."

The blond turned to look at him, "Is this what you've been planning the past week?"

Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck, "I had to time it right with the festival. Sorry if I kept you waiting."

"Don't apologize. It was worth the wait," Tsukishima reassured, "This was my first date...ever. It went really well. You planned it well."

"I'm your first date?" Kuroo asked, "I thought you would have dated before. You didn't seem very fazed by me asking you out."

"Well I saw it coming," Tsukishima noted, "Also, I've been the third wheel for some people during the academy. I'm used to it."

Kuroo stared at Tsukishima, "Does that mean that I'm also the one to take your first kiss?"

Tsukishima fell silent. Kuroo watched Tsukishima closely. The blond started to look down towards Kuroo's lips, but averted his gaze quickly. Tsukishima looked back at Kuroo after a moment. Kuroo gave a smirk. He leaned closer to Tsukishima, placing his hand behind the blond's neck. Kuroo pulled him in, their lips meeting and their eyes closing.

Kuroo had kissed many people before. After his first kiss, they all felt the same. There wasn't any spark or anything great about it.

This was different.

It was...tingly. A warm spark that went across him as Tsukishima responded to his kiss. It molded perfectly, like the pieces of a puzzle, it all connected to make a beautiful picture. Kuroo smiled into the kiss. It just felt...

So right.

When he pulled away, Kuroo stared into Tsukishima's face. He was flustered, his face tinted pink but his eyes shined. Kuroo smiled at him for the millionth time that day. Kuroo pulled Tsukishima back in for another one. Tsukishima leaned forward, Kuroo leaning back in return as they ended up laying down on the couch. After a few more kisses, Tsukishima pulled away, but he stayed laying down on Kuroo.

"It was my first," he admitted, "but I think that nothing would have topped it anyway," he mumbled at the end.

"Did I succeeded in giving a good impression?" Kuroo murmured.

"Yeah," Tsukishima nodded, "I didn't realize how close attention you were paying to me though. The headphones- I mean. That was very thoughtful," he gave a sigh, his breathing becoming softer, "It was a good day."

Ah. He did it.

If Tsukishima was like this in his arms, it meant that Tsukishima was willing to open himself up again. He did it. Kuroo cracked the window open to Tsukishima's heart. 

Tsukishima knew that very well too.

From the moment Kuroo ripped his mission to shreds, Tsukishima already knew. He knew that he was going to allow Kuroo to enter. The date was just the icing on top. From all the considerate actions Kuroo had done, Tsukishima felt it.

It wasn't a lie. It was all real.

He was able to trust again.

Fate really did slap Tsukishima across the face. 

Tsukishima eventually closed his eyes. Kuroo gently took off his glasses and placed them on the table next to the couch. Tsukishima could feel Kuroo staring at him, but he didn't mind. He heard Kuroo yawn later on. It was a long day, but everything went alright. Everything just fell right into place. 

The two fell asleep in the warmth.

They wished that this moment would never end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys had like three angst chapters, so here's some fluff.


	36. Fox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stray fox attacks in the most secluded places.

Tsukishima sat in the offices, fiddling with his pen as he filled out some reports. Snake Bite's actions have been diminished since the arresting of Daishou. A few stray gang members were still wandering, but other than that, there was no major threat in their fields.

Iron Wall was pretty quiet as well. Even though Inarizaki's activity was skyrocketing last week, it suddenly dropped.

Strange.

"Does Sawamura know about this?" Tsukishima asked to the others as he held up the reports, "Everyone's crime activities have dropped drastically."

"Well, the holidays are coming around," Sugawara hummed as he walked over to Tsukishima's desk and took the papers, "I'll show these to Daichi, though. If you have a bad feeling about it, we'll check to see if anything is being planned."

Tsukishima watched as Sugawara walked out of the office to find Sawamura. There were only the activities of smaller gangs, but it was just so out of the ordinary to see Inarizaki's movement suddenly drop after the stats last week. Tsukishima sighed as he went back to work, now checking up on their supply list. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, so he took it out to look at the message.

_From: Annoying Bastard (Kuroo)_

_If your back suddenly starts to hurt later, that's probably bc i slipped on ice :( Roof patrol_

This early in the morning? Tsukishima shot a quick response and shrugged it off. Since Nekodorani was in association with Shiratorizawa, they often had to deal with the smaller gangs that Ushijima wanted out of the way. Tsukishima went back to work.

His mind started to wander away. After all that happened yesterday, images kept playing back in his mind. The festival, holding hands, the photos, the headphones...

The kiss.

Tsukishima shook his head again. He was at work, he shouldn't be thinking about stuff like that right now. 

It was... nice though.

There he goes again. Tsukishima lightly slapped his cheeks. Work. Right now is work time. 

He should probably change Kuroo's contact name before he sees it.

"Oh," he said out loud as he looked at packet he was holding, "Yamaguchi, you forgot to get the new earpieces."

"Huh? No I didn't," Yamaguchi claimed as he went to grab a box, "They're right here."

Yamaguchi proceeded to open the box. Instead of small earpieces, Yamaguchi pulled out hand radios. Yamaguchi's eyes widened at the sight of them, "What?! The label said these were earpieces!" he exclaimed as he turned the box over, reading the label, "This isn't even for our agency... it's labeled for Nekodorani."

"Don't mind that," Hinata said as he got up, "I can go switch them! Yachi asked me to go get some more gauze for the infirmary anyway," he continued as he took the box from Yamaguchi, "Where is the store?"

"It's in Southern Tokyo- I'll send you the details," Yamaguchi replied as he pulled out his phone.

Tsukishima observed from a far as Hinata grabbed his coat and keys to one of the cars. Southern Tokyo?

Yakuza territory.

He clicked his pen as he looked at the papers on his desk. The last record of a massive event from Inarizaki came from a few winters ago. That was the one time Kageyama encountered the person from Inarizaki. After that encounter, Inarizaki caused the massive turn over of Itachiyama Agency. Most of their agents were killed, but the few who survived went rogue, including their top agent. 

No one knows where the last of the Itachiyama members where. They completely betrayed the other agencies in the area and then left. 

Southern Tokyo, huh?

Where could that hidden threat be? 

More importantly, where was Inarizaki? 

* * *

Oh god, he was no good with directions.

Kenma roamed around the streets. Too many allies, too many stores. How did anyone get around here?

He stared at his phone, still looking at the address Kuroo gave him. They had ordered new hand radios since their agency had been receiving more requests for special guards. Their first mistake was sending Lev to get them. Lev had brought back Bird of Prey's earpieces instead. Suppliers for items were the only things agencies didn't fight on. Since everyone else was out, Kenma was asked to venture into Southern Tokyo.

Another mistake. 

Yeah, he was good at everything tech and navigating, but the Southern districts were completely different. Nekodorani never touched this territory. They've dealt with Inarizaki when they went into the Northern and center districts, but they've never been on their turf. 

It was just alley after alley.

Kenma turned into one of the many allies. There was a lot of electronic stores there. Maybe one of them would be the one they got their stuff from?

Why couldn't they just buy online? It would have been much easier.

Kenma sighed. There were barely any people around. That's strange.... he thought places like this were always busy. As he went further down the alley, there were no more stores. It became a dead end. Kenma sighed in frustration.

"Oh? You lost?" 

Kenma froze.

That voice. He's heard it countless times from the under the table mics. He's heard it so many times from the chess tables of the Tokyo parks. 

He turned around, looking into a mask. The kitsune mask. The fox. It was white, with red and golden markings adorning the short snout and around the eyes. The mask was smiling at him in a taunting manner. Through the mask, he could barely make out the eyes.

Not Osamu.

He was staring into the brown eyes of Miya Atsumu. 

When it hit the light, they had a fierce golden tone.

"Huh? What's a kitty cat doing around these parts?" Astumu murmured as he stared at Kenma, "I expected a crow to be around here not you."

Atsumu stared down at the box of earpieces Kenma had in his hands, "Ah... Nekodorani. Ushiwaka's minions," he continued as he read the label, "I've never seen you around them-oh!"

The air became chillier. The crisp and foggy breath came out of the mask as Atsumu sighed. 

"You're the brain, aren't you?" he sneered, "That means you know everything and anything about Shiratorizawa."

He took a step forward. Kenma took a step back.

"You know... we've been wanting something from them," Atsumu eerily whispered, not backing down, "But no one wants to help us! Snake Bite is gone because of you annoying birds and cats... who are we supposed to ask to help in the inner circle? Iron Wall? Ha!"

Atsumu started to laugh, throwing his head back as his mask pointed to the sky. 

Kenma felt his hands shaking. He only took basic defense classes....

But none of that would work against one of the strongest syndicate members.

Atsumu took a breath in after all his laughing, "Those softies would never join with us. So... who are we supposed to rely on to get us what we need?"

He suddenly halted, looking back down. The light that was left hit into the eye-hole perfectly. 

Those eyes were wild.

"You."

Kenma ducked as Atsumu swung at him, dropping the box. He went around Atsumu as the man lingered in the corner, hissing from the pain of his fist hitting the wall. Atsumu quickly turned around, his fist scrunched up in a ball. The man looked around, stopping for a moment. Atsumu slowly bent down, picking up a piece of a broken pipe. He turned it around in his hands, before looking up at Kenma.

Ah. 

This was it.

Kenma dodged and went around once more as Atsumu swung the pipe, forcing Kenma back into the dead end wall. He was being backed up into a corner. Like a fox hunting it's prey, it was done quickly and silently.

He saw Atsumu raising the pipe once more.

Kenma couldn't move. 

He squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself. 

He heard the sound of flesh and metal colliding.

But it wasn't his.

His palm was burning immensely. Kenma opened one of his eyes slowly. In front of him was the small orange haired man he met months ago. What was he doing around here? Kenma looked at the man, who stood in front of Kenma, holding one end of the pipe in his hand as Atsumu tried to push it down. 

"The crow is helping the cat now? Is that how things have become in your fields?!" Atsumu hysterically asked as he started to laugh again. 

"Shouyou..." Kenma mumbled under his breath as he saw a thing trail of blood run down the man's arm. 

"When I say go, we run for it," Shouyou whispered under his breath, turning his head slightly to look at Kenma. Kenma slightly nodded in return, subtle enough for Shouyou to see, but not for Atsumu to realize.

In that moment, Shouyou used both of his hands to grab and twist the pipe. Atsumu's grip broke loose, Shouyou now wielding the pipe. With Atsumu bewildered, Shouyou quickly readjusted himself and swung at Atsumu's side, landing a heavy blow. Shouyou quickly dropped the pipe. 

"Go!"

Kenma ran as fast as he could with Shouyou in front of him. When did alleyways become so long? He huffed as he ran and ran, the heavy footsteps behind him making him push himself even more. Shouyou halted at the entrance of the alley, bouncing on his toes while looking left to right. He looked behind to check on Kenma. He barely caught up with Shouyou.... he was fast.

"This way!" he exclaimed as he grabbed Kenma's hand as took a sharp right. Kenma glanced behind him, Atsumu falling behind.

Kenma was being tugged by Hinata as they went further down the street, soon arriving at at parked car. Shouyou quickly unlocked the door, opening it and telling Kenma to go in. Shoyou ran to the driver's seat as Kenma jumped in. They quickly fastened their seat-belts, Shouyou shoving the key into the ignition. With a screeching sound, Shouyou zoomed out of the district, passing by the alley that Atsumu was standing at. His mask was askew, a small sliver of his face appearing from behind the mask. 

Kenma had a clear view of that expression.

He had the creepiest smirk plastered on.

After a while, Shouyou stopped the car a few feet away from the Nekodorani agency. He huffed as his head whipped around to look at him, "Kenma! Why didn't you tell me that you were from Nekodorani?"

"Well, I didn't even know you were from Birds of Prey until Atsumu said "crow"," Kenma retorted, crossing his arms, "How was I supposed to know that you were an agent?"

Shouyou shook his head, "I don't know! That's not super important right now- we can talk about that later. Why was an Inarizaki member attacking you?"

"They wanted information about Shiratorizawa," Kenma mentioned, "But at first he was talking about you guys. He said he expected one of you to come...."

Shouyou tapped his fingers against the wheel, "I get the Shiratorizawa thing- you know since you guys work for them. We don't have any business with them though. Unless...."

The man's eyes widened and he gasped loudly, "Kenma! Give me your phone number- quickly!" 

Kenma wrote down his phone number on a napkin. He handed it to Shouyou, "What? What's wrong?"

"I'll explain later, I have to get back to the agency," Shouyou hurriedly replied as he took the napkin, the small cut he hand on his hand tainting the napkin, "We have a lot to talk about.... including this."

Shouyou pointed at the mark that rested in the palm that got cut. There was a cut across the orange sun. Kenma looked around the car, spotting a bag of gauze and other first aid products. Kenma took the bag from the backseat and opened a roll of gauze, gesturing towards Shouyou's hand. He wiped off the blood with another napkin and a few drops of water from a water bottle in the cup holder. He wrapped it around Shouyou's hand and sealed it off.

"Just until you get back. It could have gotten worse," Kenma muttered as he opened the door and got out of the car, "See you later." 

"Wait!" Shouyou exclaimed as he reached into the back, pulling out a box, "This is yours. You can return the favor by buying me some earpieces later."

The man smiled as he stretched out the box to Kenma. Kenma took the box and waved goodbye again. He closed the door, watching as Shouyou drove away.

Kenma sighed in relief. 

His life would have been in danger if Shouyou hand't swooped in.

Wait... if Shouyou was from Birds of Prey, did that mean that the Tsukishima fellow was an agent too? 

Kuroo had his way of dealing with things. Kenma would ask later.

Kenma could only keep thinking about that fox mask.

It left him wondering .... why did Inarizaki come out of no where? Especially in this weather, no one would dare attack in broad daylight unless they were desperate or something huge was going down.

Something huge?

Kenma's eyes widened in realization. This was why Shiratorizawa wanted them to deal with their requests as soon as possible.

The Inarizaki Yakuza was quiet for a reason.

Something big was in store.


	37. Fallen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's going down with Inarizaki and Itachiyama?  
> -  
> More importantly (soulmate wise), what's going down with Bokuto and Akkashi?

The empty hallways were chilly. There were dry blood stains on the walls and shards of broken glass on the floor. Doors creaked as an ominous breeze moved them slightly. There was a lingering stench in one of the rooms. He closed the door quietly, looking into the room as he closed it.

The room where it happened. 

A smile hung on Atsumu's face behind the mask as he stared at the closed door. Ah, the sweet sounds of people being defeated by their nemesis. He could still hear the cries of those Itachiyama agents vividly. What a shame... such as shame to have to kill all those agents, but...

They kept him in the way of something dear to him. 

As he went upstairs, Atsumu stared at the old papers that were clinging to the walls. Old reports. Old schedules. Old pictures of Itachiyama agents. Atsumu reached the top of the stairs, heading for the first office that was right ahead of him. As he opened the door, he grin appeared on his face.

"Omi-kun," he sang as he saw the wavy hair appear, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out with the others?"

Sakusa stared up at him, those black eyes looking into his soul, "Don't you dare come within a feet of me if you have blood on your hands."

"Eh? C'mon Omi-kun, you killed for a living!" Atsumu laughed as he got closer to him, "Aren't you grateful that I set you free from your damned agency? You couldn't even work to your full potential because of regulations. I mean, you'd be great with knife handling!"

"You know that I don't kill with the knife," Sakusa drawled as he reached for a nail filer, "Poison is the go to. Killing with a gun is alright, but it can get messy if they don't die from it. But a knife? That's the worst."

Atsumu gave another laugh, "Is that why you poisoned your own teammates? So that you could just clean it up easily?"

"You just made it more difficult by going in a stabbing them," Sakusa furrowed his brows, "You really aren't patient, you know?"

"That was Komori's idea!" Atsumu defended, "It's not my fault that they found out about us."

"No, but you didn't have to act like a child. I thought I asked you to do it quickly and neatly."

Atsumu huffed as Sakusa smirked, still filing his nails.

Ah yes, the Itachiyama crisis. 

What happened to such a powerful agency? Why did they just disappear into thin air? What led to the fall of them?

Someone had fallen for a Yakuza member.

Funny, isn't it? The things that love could do to someone. A super-star agent falling in love with a rag-tag Yakuza member. It's the kind of thing you would only see in movies. Why did that lead to the turnover of Itachiyama?

They threatened to expel the agent. _'How could you deal with the enemy?!_ ' or _'You tricked us all!"_ , was what those agents said. Soon, the smaller agencies that were in association with them started to drop them. _'I heard that their top agent hooked up with a Yakuza member', 'Such a shame to their agency', 'A disgrace to all agents out there'_. The Itachiyama agents started to turn on their very own. It was enough to drive the agent crazy!

It did.

So many fingers pointing, so many judgmental looks, so much attention, could drive a man insane. He couldn't take it anymore. The only one who didn't judge him was his best friend. 

So they did the unthinkable.

That super-star agent asked his criminal lover to deal with his teammates. He did half of the job, so he let his lover and best friend finish it.

Fallen.

That was the fall of Itachiyama agency.

On a crazed rampage, they went to those agencies who insulted and spat in their faces. Kill. Kill. One after another. No one cared for such small agencies. There was no news of what really happened to them, just a simple "died on the job".

Ha! Cowards. 

They were scared of their power. Who knew that the Yakuza would get even stronger with the help of rouge agents.

Atsumu got closer and closer to Sakusa, eventually close enough for Atsumu to feel his soft breathing, even through the mask. Sakusa stared into the eye-holes, those black eyes searching and scanning for what Atsumu was thinking.

"I told you from the beginning that they would know us, didn't I?" Atsumu murmured, staring back at Sakusa, "Look at us. We taught everyone in your territory that we are better than they would ever be."

"There's something more though," Sakusa whispered in return, reaching around Atsumu's head to untie the mask, "Isn't there?"

Sakusa caught the mask as it fell away from Atsumu's face. Atsumu grinned.

"I want all of Japan to know who we are," Atsumu continued, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his hands and face, "Starting with Shiratorizawa and all those agents in Tokyo, we'll let the world know what happened between Inarizaki and Itachiyama. I'll avenge you and hurt the ones who hurt you. Just you wait, Kiyoomi."

Sakusa reached up to Atsumu's face, his finger tracing along the lines on his face.

The tangled lines on his face.

He didn't care, he thought to himself as he pulled Sakusa in, their lips meeting. Atsumu cupped Sakusa's face in his hand, warmth seeping into his hands after being outside for so long. He smiled against the other, his forehead tilting to touch Sakusa's. 

He didn't care if he stole away someone's soulmate.

He didn't care that he threw out what fate gave him.

With Sakusa, Atsumu felt like he could rule the world.

Once they take out Ushiwaka and his gang....

They would really rule the world.

* * *

Akaashi felt chills as he walked back into his apartment. He had just finished reading old reports on the Itachiyama and Inarizaki incident. So many agents died that day. From an insider, there was a rumor that the death of all agents in that area rose through suicides ... because of the immense fear of Inarizaki. It wasn't even half of the agents that escaped... only two. They were the ones who went rogue. 

He tried to shake it off. 

The fact that Hinata ran into Miya Atsumu was chilling. No one had seen him in such a long time. Only Osamu and Suna were seen around, but the head of the Yakuza and his right hand were rarely seen. 

If it was anything like when Daishou and Hiroo showed their faces, Inarizaki was planning something. 

Akaashi gave a huge sigh as he threw himself over the couch. Tofu quickly came up for cuddles and kisses. Akaashi gratefully accepted them as he hugged the dog. 

In moments like these, it was when he really wished that there would be someone to comfort him. He wouldn’t mind walking into the arms of someone after a stressful day. Not just anyone though....

"If only you were Bokuto," he murmured under his breath. 

Akaashi slapped his hand over his mouth. _Not again._ _Stop. Just stop._

_You have no chance._

_No! That's not right either! Just stop. Stop. Why are you like this?_

_Is this why he would never-_

"Stop!" he yelled out into the open, taking in a deep breath. Tofu looked up at him in surprise, but then he settled back down in Akaashi's arms. Akaashi started to bite on the side of his nails.

Overthinking will lead to anxiety.

Anxiety is the devil.

"Akaashi?"

He looked behind him to see Bokuto, who was standing there with a face of concern, "Are you okay? I heard you yell..."

"It's nothing," Akaashi sharply replied. 

_No. What are you doing?_

"Are you sure? You could always talk to me if you need to," Bokuto assured, reaching out for Akaashi's shoulder.

"I said it's nothing," he replied sharply once again.

_Wait- he's going to think that you're mad at him!_

"Akaashi...."

"I-" he sighed softly, "I really don't want to talk about it," he said more quietly, "Rough day."

Akaashi let go of Tofu as he got up, quickly walking to his room. He closed the door behind him. For a moment, it was silent. Then, Akaashi ruffled his hair in frustration, throwing himself on his bed this time. He tossed around before laying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. 

_Great. Now he thinks you hate him._

He said that he would try to be happy for Bokuto, no matter what happened. It's not like Akaashi was even with Bokuto before. It's not like they were a past fling or something in past. They were friends. Just friends.

So why?

Why did he feel like they matched?

No matter what he told himself, Akaashi would push himself down to discourage him into taking interest in Bokuto. His mind kept telling him that it couldn't happen. Don't let your heart get broken. Let him go. 

His heart said something else though. 

_You are meant to be._

Even if they were complete opposites, they clicked perfectly. Even in battle, they worked together so effortlessly. That was only on a few months of knowing each other too. It took Akaashi so long to be in perfect synchronization with a partner- with the exception of Tsukishima- but that's not the point. Bokuto just felt like someone...

So familiar.

Akaashi frowned as he got up to his dresser, pulling out his pajama pants. He should stop thinking so hard about it.

Some people go insane because they thought fate was wrong.

As he took off his dress pants, he looked down at his thighs. His left thigh had some old band-aids that he forgot to take off. Those were there for quite a long time too. Akaashi completely slipped off his dress pants, exchanging them for the loose pajamas pants. He rolled up the left side, eyeing the bandages. 

This was going to hurt.

Akaashi squeezed his eyes as he ripped off the band-aids, wincing whenever he felt one of his leg hairs being pulled out. He huffed after he took off the last one, throwing the ball of band-aids in the trashcan in the corner. Akaashi looked down again, seeing the red patches and small scratches on his skin. There was also one huge scar from the time when Bokuto stabbed him there.

As he was about to roll down the pant leg, Akaashi took a second look at the huge scar. He furrowed his eyebrows as he slightly turned his leg to the side. 

His eyes widened.

No way.

Akaashi's fingers grazed the blue triangle that was adorned with the scar across it. 

He stumbled to get up, running for the door. Akaashi swung the door open and ran into the living room, jumping over the couch and landing right next to Bokuto's left side. Bokuto jumped at the sudden appearance of Akaashi, "Oh my god! Akaashi... did you change your-"

"I'm so sorry in advanced, but I have to check something," Akaashi huffed as he took in a deep breath, "Lift up your shirt."

"What?" Bokuto sputtered, his face becoming red.

"Please?" Akaashi asked, his leg bouncing up and down from the sudden rush of nervousness.

"Okay...?" Bokuto pondered, still confused on why Akaashi would say something like that so suddenly.

Bokuto lifted his shirt up slightly. Akaashi searched and searched.

There. 

Left side, near the ribs.

Akaashi tentatively reached out, his finger barely grazing the blue triangle that was resting on Bokuto's skin. Akaashi looked down at his leg, the same blue triangle being displayed on his thigh.

Akaashi felt himself tearing up. A small hiccup came out before a small sob followed. He looked up at Bokuto, searching into his eyes. A choked and short laugh came out as he smiled up at him. His heart was right. Akaashi continued to smile as he looked at Bokuto's face, which started to contour into a softer expression. Akaashi opened his mouth to say the words he wanted to say. The words that he felt like he needed to say.

**"It's you."**


	38. Dreamer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto gets to say what he really wanted to say that other day.  
> 

**"It's you."**

Bokuto let go of his shirt, realizing why Akaashi suddenly asked to see his skin. He stared down at Akaashi's leg, looking at the blue triangle with a scar across it. The scar was from Bokuto's dagger at the Ushijima gala. Bokuto looked back up at Akaashi, a smile across the man's face and tears streaming down.

Akaashi face started to scrunch up.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Akaashi asked quietly, his smile turning into a thin line and slightly trembling, "You knew. You knew and you didn't say anything...!"

Akaashi lightly punched Bokuto's shoulder. The man looked away, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Bokuto frowned at the sight. He hated the sight of Akaashi looking so upset. Bokuto scooted closer towards Akaashi, cautiously reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"Let me explain... properly this time," Bokuto answered, looking back at Akaashi. Akaashi stared at him for a moment before nodding his head slightly. Bokuto leaned back in the couch, taking in a deep breath and collecting all of his thoughts.

"This may sound a little cheesy, but let me start from the beginning," Bokuto sheepishly admitted, "Is that okay?"

Akaashi nodded again, also relaxing himself against the couch.

"When I was in middle school, we started to learn a lot about soulmates. In elementary you'd learn the basics, but we started to dive in deeper into the concept of it. There was one lesson in particular that caught my attention," he reminisced, "The pain. Why was it that out of all things.... why was it that we could feel the physically pain of our soulmates?"

He looked back at Akaashi, "I don't know if you've ever noticed, but in the younger years... you probably didn't feel much."

Akaashi hummed, "No, not really."

"That's because I didn't want my soulmate to feel any pain. I thought you would hate me for making you feel any sort of pain!" he laughed a little, "I really did try my best... but then we learned why we felt the pain of our soulmates."

Bokuto looked up at the ceiling as he continued, "We feel pain because it's the closest thing to touch. When we can't physically be with our soulmate because we haven't met them... feeling their pain is the closest thing. You know where they're are hurting, but do you know why it hurts? What if their pain is from a play fight with some friends, or because of partying out for too long. It could even be from a mosh pit at a concert- which by the way was that one time your ankle felt odd around high school. Crowd-surfing."

"Oh my god," Akaashi chuckled, "I felt like I couldn't even walk because of how much it hurt."

Bokuto laughed a little, "Sorry. What I'm trying to say is that pain could either be good or bad. So that's why I started doing more things, and why is probably why your pain just started to spike up. I wanted you to know that I'm there. I exist.... and I'll be with you soon."

Bokuto clasped his hands together as he sat up, "From the very start, ever since I could feel your pain, I knew that I myself would never hurt you. In middle school, I knew that I would never hurt you, but I also knew that it was okay for us to feel pain. For a while, I considered not going into this field of work because I was sure you'd get annoyed by all the pain... but then I felt much more from you! _'Oh,_ _they're getting back at me!'_ , I thought to myself. So, I dove straight into the agent field."

He looked back at Akaashi, a grin on his face, "I even convinced myself that you were an agent since the pain was so similar. I barely recognized your pain since I felt the same thing."

"Same here," Akaashi nodded, "Academies usually whipped us into shape like that."

Bokuto nodded, "I love this field of work. It sound cynical, I know, but it's so exciting. It's so thrilling. You really never know what could happen!"

Bokuto sighed. He looked down at the ground.

"Until we got into a contract with Shiratorizawa," he murmured, "That's when things started to get more complicated. We started doing more bad than good. The only thing that I looked forward to was taking down any rivals, but I hate going after innocent people. Oikawa and Iwaizumi do that job more often, but when I have to do it, I hesitate. All the time."

Akaashi sat up as well, "It's upsetting. That's why we don't try to take in jobs from the cruel and evil corps."

Bokuto nodded, "I wish Oikawa would let go. He keeps thinking that we'll be able to rise up against Shiratorizawa one day, but I don't think that'll ever happen."

He looked back at Akaashi, "What I was getting to, was that I hesitate killing and dealing with innocent bystanders who offended Ushiwaka in a way. There was only one time I absolutely couldn't kill my target."

Bokuto got closer to Akaashi, taking Akaashi's hand in his.

"You," he admitted, "When we got back to the agency after the gala, I found my mark. I was already hesitating to act on it since I knew you were from our rivals. The second Oikawa gave us the order to kill you two, I hesitated again. But you know what?"

Akaashi looked at him.

"I knew I wouldn't kill you. I was already thinking of what to do to avoid it. Even through the time I was supposed to track you, I didn't even think of the mission. 7-11? That was me tracking you. For some reason, I didn't want to report anything back. I just wanted to get closer to you.... even if you weren't going to want to. In the end, I made up my mind. I wasn't going to kill you. I have something else in mind."

Bokuto patted Akaashi's hand, "I have a dream, Akaashi. I'm a big dreamer," he smiled, "I told myself that if I ever find my soulmate, I would just love them. We'd go on simple dates to the park or some amusement park. After a few years of dating, we'd move in together and eventually get married. After raising enough funds, we'd quit our city jobs and move out into a cozy country home, outside of Tokyo. We'd get smaller and calmer jobs. We'd have shelter dogs- a lot of them. And if my soulmate was willing to.... we would even have or adopt a kid. We wouldn't feel any more horrible pains- it would just be the good kind. Happy pain, you know?"

Bokuto looked down at Akaashi's fingers, gently sweeping across them with his thumb, "It's a little too much, but like I said, I'm a dreamer," he stared back at Akaashi, "I want to live a beautiful life with my soulmate. If all of this ends eventually- if agencies drop the whole evil rival thing- I want this to happen. I couldn't tell you before because I didn't want the mission to have an impact on your view of this. Now, right now, I'm sure of one thing."

"I want to live a beautiful life with you," Bokuto ended with a soft smile on his face.

He watched as Akaashi started to tear up again, "How do you have such a good way with words?" Akaashi smiled as he shook his head. Bokuto just chuckled a little, waiting for Akaashi to collect himself. 

Waiting for a response.

Akaashi breathed out, "I was skeptical about you at first. We never had good blood with Nekodorani, so whenever I ran into you, I would run away. I was going to keep running away until you'd stop appearing in my life. Until 7-11. You came up to me and allowed me to have someone to talk to, even if it was only for a few minutes. You kept being there for me- from Snake Bite to recovery to the ambush- you were there. You didn't abandon me."

Akaashi looked down at Bokuto's hand, slipping his fingers in between Bokuto's.

"You were different," Akaashi continued, "You made me feel different. You weren't like how agents say rival agents were supposed to be... you were a friend. Until I caught feelings for you."

"Wha-" Bokuto started, "So you already liked me before you even knew?"

Akaashi nodded, "I liked you. I liked the way you were always there for me and you were always supportive. Even when I felt like pushing myself down, you pushed me back up. I fell for you... but since I thought I didn't have a mark, I felt like I had no right to be with you. You...were too good for me. I couldn't steal you away from someone."

The man sighed out, but a small choked laugh came out after a moment, "I tried not to care...but I did. I was starting to become willing to take you away from someone, even if I did get a tangled mark. Crazy of me, right? The composed Akaashi Keiji losing his cool for a rival agent. I couldn't let go of you. I thought fate was so wrong to put you with someone else because it felt like I was meant to be with you." 

Akaashi gave a small smile, one tear slipping out of his right eye, "Then I saw my mark and I came to check as fast as I could. It was you. Just in that second, relief flooded me and I started to cry. _'Thank goodness'_ was all I could think. I did get a little upset that you didn't tell me before, but I'm just so..."

He suddenly wrapped his arms around Bokuto, the warmth spreading throughout Bokuto. He could hear Akaashi sniffling, "Happy. I'm so happy. I like you. I still like you... and I will love you if you will let me."

Akaashi pulled away to looked at Bokuto, "I also want to live in the country someday," he added on with a sweet smile.

Bokuto bit his lip, "Akaaashiii!"

Ecstasy overtook Bokuto. He scooped Akaashi up, holding him in his arms as he got up and spun around. The ringing of laughter filled the room and Tofu was also spinning at Bokuto's feet. 

Akaashi's laughter was probably his favorite sound.

The smile couldn't leave Bokuto's face as Akaashi wrapped his arms around his neck, the world around them spinning and the slowing down. As Bokuto came to a stop, he stared into those ocean colored eyes, feeling heat rising to his face from all the spinning.

Akaashi beat him to the next thing.

Akaashi gently grabbed Bokuto's face and pulled him in. Bokuto closed his eyes, feeling the warmth seep into him all over again. Bokuto had waited for this moment for years. It was so sweet and tender.

Perfect. 

He wouldn't want it any other way.

Bokuto felt Akaashi smile against his lips, as if he had felt the same thing. 

Some people would say that fate is reckless and that fate isn't always one hundred percent right. Fate is a thing that only dreamer would believe in, and it is so foolish to leave your love life in the hands of it. Bokuto would disagree with that....

For him, fate gave him one hundred and twenty percent. Fate took extra special care on his soulmate. Even if they were complete opposites, it just molded so perfectly. It worked so well. Fate knew what it was doing.

No matter what came at him, Akaashi was what fate gave him.

And he would never let go of him.

Never.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "There will come a time in which there is a person you don't want to let go of. When that time comes...  
> Don't let go.  
> That person... will be the most beautiful thing to come into your life.  
> Don't let them go."


	39. History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, Suga stays up late at the office.  
> He discovers some unsettling things about one of their own.

Suga yawned as he flipped through more papers. Hinata's concern had shook everyone. The fact that Inarizaki not only attacked a Nekodorani agent and Hinata, but that Miya Atsumu finally showed himself, was worrisome. When Suga went on patrol last time with Akaashi and Kageyama, they were looking out for the twins only because one of their hideouts was there. It was pretty rare to see Atsumu, but Osamu was usually spotted in the area. 

They didn't find anyone that day. Inarizaki had probably moved into one of the stolen territories in the North.

So what was Miya Atsumu doing there?

"I'm off for the day," Kageyama waved as he got up, shoving some papers into a half open cabinet.

"Day? It's already nighttime," Suga yawned as he looked up at the young agent.

"Oh," Kageyama muttered as he looked outside, the sun not in sight, "Well, I'm off anyway. Thank you for your hard work."

Kageyama nodded at Suga as he left. That's weird... Kageyama usually stayed later. Maybe it was because Hinata had left earlier than usually. Akaashi left a little early too, but that was because Daichi had sent him home. Akaashi didn't seem to be doing so well mental-wise. 

Suga sighed heavily as he looked down at his desk. He decided to go through any reports on criminal activities in Southern and the lower half of Northern Tokyo. There was reports on Snake Bite going over there, a sprinkle of Shiratorizawa, and a little bit of other gangs in between. 

The Yakuza was scary.

Murder, murder, murder, drug dealing, illegal weapons, murder, drugs, slush funds, shark loans, murder....

Homicide was the one that appeared the most. The Yakuza were supposed to be more refined than this. Inarizaki was like a different breed of Yakuza.

Monsters.

"Ha... and these are only the ones that were recovered from Itachiyama," Suga shook his head, "We still have the ones from the smaller agencies," he mumbled to himself. 

Johzenji Policy Force had given them the remains of any reports from the fallen agencies. They were originally going to Nekodorani, but Terushima told them that Oikawa had rejected right away. He only took the ones relevant to Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki, but dumped the rest on them.

Daichi had told Johzenji that they wouldn't meddle with Inarizaki unless it was necessary.

It looks like they were going in soon.

"Oh?" Suga said out loud, "I'm missing one..." 

Ah! Kageyama had taken that. He probably shoved it into his desk along with his own reports.

Suga walked over to Kageyama's messy desk, opening the rest of the half-opened cabinet. He pulled out the packets of papers that Kageyama had shoved in, searching for the missing paper. Suga pulled it out and pushed the report aside. He neatly fixed Kageyama's papers before placing them back. Suga's eyebrows furrowed as he heard something fall down after putting away the papers. 

Suga looked at his feet to see a thin notebook. It must've been in between the papers. Suga knelt down to pick it up, but something caught his eye.

A picture?

There was the corner of a picture sticking out of the notebook. Maybe it was one of Kageyama's academy photos. 

Suga tentatively opened the notebook. He was staring at a worn out picture of Kageyama, only his profile showing. He had bruises all over his face and his nose was bleeding. Suga looked a little further down...

"A date...?" he asked himself quietly. Kageyama was holding up a sign with a date on it....

A mugshot.

This was a mugshot.

Kageyama had a crime? No. That couldn't be...his record was clean when he joined their academy. How? 

"What did you do?" he muttered as he stared at the photo, his gaze soon falling towards the page next to the photo.

 _'I didn't do it.... it was self defense. Why won't they believe me? Didn't they see what was going on? Why are they blaming me for this? Why?! I just want to go home....I want to go back to the academy.',_ was what the paper read. 

Ah. Assault. This must have been during Kageyama's academy years... but from what he knew, his academy didn't expel him. They must have cleared up his case somehow and then erased the charge. Some academies did that, despite the fact that it wasn't supposed to be done.

"But what happened?" Suga murmured, quirking one eyebrow up. 

He looked under the photo, finding more writing.

' _They told me that they were Inarizaki. I've heard of them from my teachers. How could I have been seen as the bad guy there? A student at a academy vs. a gang member. The police told me that I attacked an innocent employee....that didn't happen! He attacked me first. I could have died.... and he was threatening me. He wanted me to join-'_

"The Yakuza," Suga whispered. 

From what it sounded like, a Inarizaki member suddenly attacked Kageyama while he was off of the academy fields. They wanted to recruit him- after all, Kageyama was a well-known trainee. Not to mention, he was known for being a little bossy- it's improving now- but Kageyama wasn't seen as someone to take the agent role. Back to the incident, the Inarizaki member must have disguised themselves, so when Kageyama finally jabbed back...

They could just pour their fake credibility and identity to turn the tables.

Monsters. They really were monsters.

Suga turned all the way towards the end of the notebook. There were a few more pictures, this time of the agency and happy times. There was one writing that seemed odd out of all the rest.

' _I ran into an Inarizaki member while I was on a solo mission. It wasn't the same person, but I blindly attacked. It's reasonable, right? I'm an agent now. I have to protect from all bad. They got right back at me though. He told me to join the Yakuza- why are they insisting? There was someone else too...they sounded awfully familiar. I only made out their lower bodies, but not their faces. It was dark. They kept talking about taking Shiratorizawa's place.... but they wanted me to side with them. I would never do that.'_

Were they chasing after Kageyama? There was someone else there too?

This was a little before Itachiyama was over thrown. A while later, they took some Shiratorizawa's territory. 

3 years ago. 3 winters ago. 

It was also around the time there was that huge slip up: the burning of the Ushijima summer home. Near the beginning of spring. 

Wait... Kageyama's solo mission.

Wasn't in the same range that Shiratorizawa's territory was in?

They were all connected somehow... weren't they?

"If only I had some information on that swipe," Suga sighed as he placed the notebook back in between the papers. He closed the drawer and moved back to his desk, taking the report he needed with him. Who would have information on the stealing of Shiratorizawa's territory-

"Oh hell no!" Suga yelled to himself as he angrily put away his work, getting ready to leave. 

Well... what did he have to lose other than his dignity?

Suga grabbed his things and his jacket, going straight to his motorbike and heading for his next stop.

Nekodorani.

* * *

Suga pulled up a few feet away from Nekodorani agency. Why was he doing this? Did he really swoop that low? 

He sighed as he watched the lights of the agency turn off. Oikawa stepped out and locked the door behind him. He was alone. No one else was going to come out of there. Suga sighed again as he watched Oikawa walk away from the agency.

There was going to be a lot of sighing today.

Suga revved up his motorbike and zoomed forward, taking a sharp turn and jumping on the sidewalk. He screeched to a halt right in front of Oikawa. Suga took of his helmet, shaking his head at an attempt to fix his hair. Oikawa stepped back, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Get on," Suga mutter as he gestured to his motorbike, "We need to talk."

"Suga-chan, are you threatening me?" Oikawa scowled, "I'm not getting on!"

"It will become a threat if you don't sit your ass on this bike," Suga warned. 

"No need to be so vulgar! Suga-chan, you should be nicer to me if you want me to go with you that badly!" Oikawa cried out, putting his hand against his chest, "What do you even want to talk about?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Suga said as opened the storage compartment under his seat. He pulled out another helmet and tossed it to Oikawa, "Are you coming or not?"

Oikawa caught the helmet.

"Fine."

* * *

To be honest, there was only one reason Oikawa came.

Oikawa looked up as the night sky flew past them. He could feel the wind on his jaw since the helmet covered his hair and eyes. In front of him, Suga wore a wool and leather jacket. He wore leather gloves, which covered his mark.

That aqua blue hexagon.

Suga soon pulled over to the sidewalk, near the railings that looked out to the city. He stepped off of the motorbike and took off his helmet. Oikawa watched as Suga put down his helmet on the seat and walked over near the rails, leaning against them. Oikawa furrowed his eyebrows, but he also took off his helmet, placed it on the seat and walked over to Suga.

"What is it?" Oikawa sighed out, "I don't have all night-"

"What do you know about Inarizaki?"

Oikawa leaned forward on the railings, looking out at the twinkling city, "I can't give that to you, and you should know better."

"Oh, come on! You guys aren't even related or associated with them," Suga complained as he huffed out, an icy cloud coming out of his mouth. 

"Lies. We always have to keep them in track for Ushiwaka," he said, snarling a little at Ushiwaka's name, "I can't give you that, even if you don't work with Inarizaki."

"Look, if you don't give me that information on Inarizaki swiping territory from Shiratorizawa, we could be facing a crisis. No. Not even a crisis. It'll become a bloody war," Suga bluntly stated, not sugar coating anything.

Huh. Wasn't he supposed to be the sweet on of them all?

"What do you mean?" Oikawa curiously asked.

"Didn't your agent tell you?" Suga asked, "He was attacked today by one of the twins."

"Wha-?!" Oikawa started, "Why would they? And how do you know?"

"Our agent saved yours from being mauled by Atsumu," Suga replied as he looked out at the city, "Thank us later."

Kenma. 

"He probably didn't say anything cause he thought I'd be mad," Oikawa muttered to himself, "I get why they would attack one of us... but why our hacker out of all of them?"

"I think Inarizaki is trying to bait everyone," Suga continued, taking off his gloves and letting the cool air hit them, "They tried to convince one of our agents to go over to them too. Itachiyama also disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Oikawa scoffed, "Sakusa and Komori joined them."

Oikawa watched as Suga's eyes widened. Suga's mouth formed a small 'o' as he started to stand up straight. 

"I get it now," Suga whispered, "Inarizaki may be trying to find each of our weaknesses to lower our defenses! Since they have two powerful allies with them, all they need to do is weaken their enemies and attack. They would wipe out everyone!"

Suga turned to look at Oikawa, "You guys are practically lost without your control center. One of our agents had a bad history with Inarizaki. They're trying to finish us off in one blow. Then, when the time is right..."

"They'll go after Shiratorizawa," Oikawa ended.

"They were always trying to go for Shiratorizawa first," Suga explained, "But maybe after seeing our agents defend themselves, they could start moving towards us agencies.You said they had Sakusa and Komori. They'll definitely take the chance now that they're thriving."

Suga laughed a little, "Monsters. They really are monsters."

Oikawa's stare lingered on Suga for a moment. His eyes started to drift down to his marking, but Suga stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Let's connect all the pieces," Suga chirped, "What happened when Inarizaki swiped that territory?"

Oikawa hesitated for a moment.

It didn't matter, right? Inarizaki wasn't their problem...for now.

"Atsumu and Sakusa were spotted," Oikawa retold, reciting the report on it, "The two took down some of Ushiwaka's guards. The rest of the Yakuza managed to drive Shiratorizawa out of that territory. Atsumu and Sakusa had chased after the agents we sent in. They ended up in a street alley, but Atsumu and Sakusa dropped the chase. There must've been something-"

"Or someone!" Suga muttered, his eyes getting wider, "Was there anyone else around?"

"I mean... they stopped someone in the alleyway, but we couldn't figure out if it was one of their own or a random person."

"Kageyama's story is much deeper than I thought," Suga mumbled under his breath, "I have to go. I have to write all of this down!"

Suga ran for his motorbike, throwing on his helmet and slipping his gloves back on. Oikawa climbed behind him. What was going on? What did he mean by crisis? What was going to happen with all of this?

Was there really going to be a war of gangs and agencies?

That's what Oikawa wished he was thinking.

No, Oikawa really didn't take everything in. He didn't understand anything that Suga was saying because he kept thinking about that mark. That aqua hexagon. The very same aqua hexagon that was on Oikawa's hand.

Have you found your soulmate? How did you get your mark? Have you ever wanted to find your soulmate?

Do you know that I'm your soulmate?

That's what Oikawa was thinking.

Oikawa stared back up at the night sky.

There was only one reason why Oikawa went with Suga. The only reason why he jumped on a motorbike to stand at the ledge of a bridge. The only reason why he gave a sliver of information to Suga.

He hoped that Suga would talk about that mark.Maybe he also saw Oikawa's mark when they went to finish off Snake Bite.

Suga didn't talk about that. 

The only thing plaguing Suga's mind was the thought of Tokyo agents spiraling down their doom. _It wasn't the right time for such childish things_ , Oikawa thought to himself. He sighed as he watched the night sky fly by. He should also take those warnings seriously. Oikawa would allow his thoughts to be over taken by the concern of his agents futures. 

A soulmate conversation was for another day.


	40. Tensions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week later, a meeting between the two agencies is assembled.  
> Tensions explode.

_Beep...beep...beep! Beep!_ _BEE-_

Kuroo slammed his hand over his phone, muting that annoying alarm clock. He groaned as he rolled over, forgetting that he fell asleep on the couch. Kuroo's eyes flew open as he realized he was going face first into the new coffee table. He felt his forehead hit the table. Kuroo hissed as his hands flew to his forehead, the pain blooming under his bangs. He soon heard rustling from the other room. Tsukishima appeared, a slight scowl on his face as he walked up to Kuroo, who was now on the floor.

"You really aren't giving me a break anymore, huh?" Tsukishima mumbled as he patted his own forehead, "Let me see, that one hurt way more than it should have."

"Tsukki, you really don't have to," Kuroo started as he got back up. Tsukishima just shook his head and waved for Kuroo to move his hand aside.

Kuroo hesitated for a moment. There were many reason why Kuroo decided to leave his bangs, but there was one main reason.

He felt the sudden draft on his forehead. Kuroo looked a Tsukishima, who was just staring at his forehead. The blond gently touched something on his forehead.

A burn. An old burn mark.

"I told you I was okay," Kuroo muttered as he took Tsukishima's hand, holding it for a while, "It's okay."

"Was that during academy?" Tsukishima asked, his eyes still lingering on Kuroo's now covered forehead, "I barely remember feeling a burn on my forehead..."

Kuroo sighed a little, "I told this when I was drunk, about that one girl I dated and who framed me. Well, since she was expelled from one of the top academies, no one else would accept her. Her life just started spiraling downwards. Eventually, she lost it and broke into our campus. She had a lighter in her hand when she broke into my dorm."

"She tried to set the place on fire," Tsukishima nodded, understanding where this was going. 

"She went to jail for attempted arson and assault. That's all that she left. She managed to leave that burn on me, but I’m pretty sure she’s out by now," Kuroo continued quietly, "I didn't always have this fringe, but I added it because of the burn. Also because I look cooler with it," he added with a smile. 

"Battle scars," Tsukishima hummed, "It depends on how you interpret it. They could show that you were too weak and pathetic-"

"Wow, way to rub salt in the wound, Tsukki, " Kuroo laughed a little.

"Or they could show that you've survived some serious shit," Tsukishima continued, "Let me finish. You could have given up right there. You didn't though. Even at your lowest point, you still kept going. Now look. A decent agent came out of all of it."

"You can keep inflating my ego," Kuroo smirked.

"Nah, it's on the edge of exploding already," Tsukishima smirked in return.

"Hey!"

Kuroo playfully pushed Tsukishima, which then resulted in a full out play fight. It was cut short since the two were trying to hard to avoid Kuroo's injured hand. They ended up tangled on the floor, a little bit of laughed and soft breathing mixing in with the morning noises. Tsukishima glanced up at the clock, "Agh! I'm going to be late if I don't get ready soon."

"No...stay with me," Kuroo whined as he held onto Tsukishima's waist, "I barely see you anyways. You only pop in for lunch and then leave."

"That's because you have a broken hand," Tsukishima pointed out as he glanced down at Kuroo's hand, "You'd probably be busier than me if it wasn't for that." 

Tsukishima was about to push away from Kuroo to get up. Kuroo stared at the blond as Tsukishima's eyes started to drift back up to his head. Tsukishima stared at his forehead again. After a few seconds, Kuroo felt Tsukishima push Kuroo's fringe aside, a gentle peck being placed on where Kuroo's burn was. Tsukishima looked back at Kuroo, a slight tint of pink on his cheeks. 

Ah. He was embarrassed. 

"You really have no idea how cute you can be sometimes," Kuroo smiled as he lightly ruffled Tsukishima's hair with his good hand.

"Oh, shut up!" Tsukishima sputtered as he broke away from Kuroo's hold, "I have to get ready to go."

Kuroo smiled and patted his fringe. He thought his day was already off to rocky start with him hitting his head on the table. It was really amazing how one person could just turn everything around with a few words. Even little gestures made things better.

Usually, his mornings were just filled with dread. Waking up so early and then going straight into Shiratorizawa's clutches.

Not today though.

Kuroo didn't feel grumpy or dreadful at the morning wake up call. It was nice to see the person he loved first thing in the morning. The blond being woken up by Kuroo's clumsy self. Those sleep eyes gazing at him and checking up on him. The gentle for head kiss. The flustered faces. 

He wouldn't mind seeing him every morning.

He wanted more mornings, afternoons, and evenings with Tsukishima. 

Maybe someday it could happen.

For now, he was satisfied with the mornings.

* * *

"We're going to the A.A"

Everyone looked up at the sudden words. The A.A. The Assembly Arena. It was a specialized field outside of Tokyo where agencies were meant to gather. Similar to academy fields, the A.A was like a battle-zone. Agents were free to do what they wanted if they had pent up frustrations. In rare cases, agencies met to come to an agreement on something. The "assembly" part was when agencies were in peace. The "arena" part was for full out authorized combat.

Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows, "What for?"

"Birds of Prey wants to talk to us," Oikawa explained as he threw some things into his backpack, "Last week one of their agents confronted me...it's just a continuation of it."

"So...we're basically being dragged into one of your outbursts!" Bokuto added in happily.

"Kou-chan! It's not like that. He abducted me on his motorbike, what was I supposed to do? Jump off?" Oikawa argued as he swung his backpack over his shoulder. 

"Well, now I get why we're wearing the official uniform," Yaku spoke up as he adjusted his combat vest. The short agent scrunched his face, "These are kind of unpractical though..."

"Maybe for you Yaku, since your frame is so small," Lev smiled cheerfully as he zipped up his vest.

That earned Lev a nice kick in the knees from Yaku, "Geh! Why would you hurt your own soulmate like that?! You know that it hurts you in return," Lev pouted.

"You know very well how I feel about my height," Yaku huffed as he crossed his arms, "Besides, I've been toning it down on the hits. This was the first one in a long time."

"Enough, enough with the lovers quarrel," Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and faking a gag, "Everyone get ready to leave. The van is prepped to go," he gestured towards the door before taking a sip of water from a bottle on his desk. 

"Don't gag, Iwaizumi," Kai said as he rose up from his seat, "You have no idea how soft your face gets when your boyfriend texts you."

Iwaizumi choked on the water, "I-...No-.. Well-... Argh! Whatever, just get in the van dammit!" he waved off as he went outside rather quickly.

Everyone else chuckled and followed in suit. Kuroo folded the neck of his turtleneck down as he went out the door. He patted down his combat vest and tapped on his tip of his boots before he went in the van. Kuroo stared ahead of him as everyone else climbed in. Bokuto sat right next to him, and next to Bokuto, Kenma sat down.

"Kenma? Why are you coming?" Bokuto asked as he looked over to Kenma.

"You were given earpieces... I'm coming in case if a huge fight does breakout," Kenma sighed as he looked down at his bag, "The A.A is a little too far from our range, so I'm going to stay here in the van with the computer in the back."

Kuroo nodded along with Bokuto. The two just looked ahead of them as the doors closed, the van lurching forward. Kuroo could see Oikawa's grave face from the rear view mirror. His face was tense, but his eyes were settled on his hand as he slightly turned it around, looking at his mark. Next to him in the driver's seat, Iwaizumi held the wheel with one hand. Occasionally he'd glance down at his covered wrist, which was where his mark was. 

Even Bokuto had his hand over the place his mark was.

Kuroo stared at his hands. He looked out the window as some trees and other cars passed by. Oikawa usually didn't throw a fit in front of other agents, especially if they were from Birds of Prey. Knowing how short tempered Oikawa was...

This really could end in a fight out of frustration.

After a few hours of driving, Iwaizumi pulled up to the side of an empty road. Everyone got out after taking some things from their bags. From here, they were already in the A.A's land. Just a little bit of walking in order to get into the actual building. Kuroo could see a van parked a little further away from them. 

Birds of Prey were already there.

Everyone was wearing their thermal turtlenecks and their combat vests. They had compression tights under their cargo pants, and with their pants being tucked into the combat boots. A belt was locked and loaded with a gun and a smaller weapon. The signature Nekodorani colors- aqua, red, and white- were displayed in small stripes on the pockets of their vests. The official combat uniform. It was a little heavier than their suits and ties, but it made any agent look like a pro.

Well, it was most agents official uniforms. The only difference was the way their signature symbols or colors were displayed. 

They finally made it to the entrance. The moment Oikawa opened the doors, there was a chill. It over too the cold of the outside. Everyone stepped in, the familiar field bringing memories to the similar academy field. It was constructed with things to hide behind, ledges, bases, and so on. Basically one giant paintball field. 

Nekodorani walked in a line, the airport walk. From a distance, Kuroo could see Birds of Prey standing in the center. It seems like they were confident in making peace. Black thermal turtlenecks, a gun harness that went across their chests, cargo pants, and combat boots as well. A few of them wore leather gloves. Kuroo could see Tsukishima from a distance, who was fastening the wrist strap on his gloves.

Their gun holders were adorned with a grey embroidery of a crow. 

"Sawamura-chan!" Oikawa called out as they got closer, "When's the last time we've been here? Hmm?"

"Let me think- oh wait! It's when you started working with Shiratorizawa," Tanaka spoke up, a dark look on his face. Sharpshooter, sniper, you can call him what you like, but that was one of Karasuno's best shooters.

Tense.

"Who called us here in the first place?" Yamamoto, Nekodorani's offense, fumed, "The ones who can't handle some low blow Yakuza!"

Tense.

Kuroo could see Akaashi's gaze lingering on Bokuto. If it was against anyone else, Bokuto would have been provoking people left and right. Kuroo would have done the same as well. This was different though. He knew Iwaizumi would probably be the same.

One wrong word or one wrong action could cause something wrong for all of them.

The chill got colder.

"Inarizaki," Sugawara spoke up, "is coming for all of us."

Sugawara looked over to Kageyama, their young prodigy, who had his fists tighten up. Kuroo noticed that the edge of his eyes were red, almost as if he was crying before they got here. A lump went down Kageyama's neck as he looked up.

"They're coming. At some point, they started to chase me down. They want to recruit many agents to go rogue," Kageyama explained, "To go against their own agencies and to join the Yakuza. That's probably why they attacked your hacker. I encountered them twice... and they're no joke. They might be planing to take over all of Tokyo-!"

"Are you saying, that Inarizaki is coming because of you?" Oikawa quietly spoke.

Kageyama's serious expression faltered for a moment, "What?"

"Tobio-kun.... we all know about you," Oikawa faked sincerity, "We all know the story. 'Prodigy agent nearly kills fellow student'- wait. That's not the one, right?"

Some of the agents eyes widened. 

"Ah, I forgot. You cleaned it off that you went to Kitagawa Daiichi boot camp," Oikawa smiled sweetly, "You only had Karasuno Academy on your profile...but you cleaned that up too. The assault incident. Sure, it was Inarizaki, but the fact that you were in public, and no one knew that the employee was from Inarizaki, but you still attacked? Pathetic."

"Kageyama... we already learned about the assault... but what does he mean by Kitagawa?" the short agent, Hinata, asked. 

"I-.... I just got a little out of hand during practice. My partners didn't understand anything I was saying...you guys know I had a bad temper- it just got out of hand!" Kageyama worriedly explained.

"What did you do?" Sugawara gently questioned.

"I...stabbed his arm," Kageyama quietly admitted as he hung his head low, “It wasn’t the worst, but that’s still considered a small violation of code under the boot camp.” 

Disappointment hung in the air.

"Poor Kindaichi," Oikawa shook his head, "He can't stand the sight of you or a knife anymore." 

Oikawa stopped right in front of Kageyama. 

"Inarizaki is a threat. We can take care of it ourselves with our alliances. If we team up with you? We're all dead meat. Inarizaki's main goal is to take down Shiratorizawa....who would be a better bait than Kageyama Tobio? The agent who doesn't deserve to be one," Oikawa taunted. He looked at Kageyama dead in the eye.

"For all I care, you will be the fall of your agency."

"Oikawa! That's not what you said on the bridge," Sugawara yelled as he stepped in between Kageyama and Oikawa, "You knew that both agencies would be in trouble. You agreed with me on Inarizaki being able to wipe out Shiratorizawa! You know that your agents could be in danger!"

"I knew," Oikawa murmured as he glanced at Sugawara, "After meditating on it for a week though, I realized this."

Oikawa grabbed a fistful of Sugawara's shirt.

"We are stronger than any agency out there," he growled, "If Inarizaki dared to go near us, I know very well that my agents will fight till the Miya twins would see their own guts spilled on the floor. But you? You're too sentimental. You guys don't have the heart to do anything serious! You guys could have finished off Snake Bite, but you just allowed them to go to jail. What do you think will happen if they get out?"

Suga scowled, "They have to suffer for what they've done. What's the point if justice isn't served? They can rot in hell after they've gone insane in the asylum!"

Kuroo gripped his belt. 

Tension was on the brink of exploding.

"I really thought that we could work together to take Inarizaki down," Suga laughed, "You didn't seem that bad on the bridge. I was wrong. You aren't bad."

Kuroo covered his mouth as Suga ripped away his leather glove as shoved his hand in front of Oikawa's face. Even from a distance, everyone could see the aqua colored hexagon. Oikawa backed up slightly, his eyes wide as he stared back at Suga. 

The same mark that Oikawa had. 

"I've known.... I've been ignoring it," Suga spat, "I considered it. Now? Now that you've shown me your true colors? I know now. You're not bad."

Suga shoved away Oikawa's hand that was on him.

"You're the worst person to ever step on this goddamned planet!" 

The words echoed throughout the empty arena. 

Oikawa's eyes darkened, "You know... I wished that you would have said something about this little hexagon before. This would have never happened if you did. Maybe I would have actually agreed on partnering up."

Kuroo watched as everyone in Nekodorani placed their hands on the hilt of their guns.

Except for three of them, including Kuroo. 

"We'll give you a demonstration on how we'll maul Inarizaki," Oikawa announced, "We'll prove to you how Inarizaki wouldn't dare step close to Nekodorani!"

"Let's roughhouse a little," Oikawa grinned, "Everyone get ready!" he yelled out. Birds of Prey tensed as they started to prepare their weapons. Kuroo watched as Tsukishima loaded his gun with bullets. A show. It was just for show. These fights usually were done just to show strength. It was rare for anyone to be killed. Everyone knew that very well. Why was it so tense? Was everyone really going to pour out their frustration here?

The air sat still for a moment. Kuroo looked at Oikawa, who was in front of them. 

They really were going to do this.

Oikawa glanced towards Kuroo and Bokuto, "Tetsu-chan. Kou-chan."

Kuroo felt his heart freeze.

The brown haired agent lifted his hands. One pointing to Akaashi, one to Tsukishima.

"Finish the job. Right here. Right now."

The tension shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for 200 kudos!


	41. Rise Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fake it till you make it?  
> Or just come clean with the world?  
> Nekodorani vs. Birds of Prey at the A.A!

Tsukishima stared at Oikawa's extended arm. He gripped his gun as Oikawa glanced towards Kuroo. The brown haired agent gestured towards Tsukishima, "Well? What are you waiting for?" Oikawa murmured, then raising his voice, "What are you waiting for?" he repeated as he looked at Bokuto too, "Go!" 

The tension shattered. No. It exploded and turned into pure rage. Agents from Nekodorani charged at the agents across from them. Tsukishima stepped back. He glanced over at Akaashi, who bounced on the balls of his feet before sprinting away as fast as he could. Tsukishima looked over to Bokuto. The agent stared at Akaashi running away, but then his eyes widened in realization. Bokuto then proceeded to chase Akaashi, who was already heading into the deeper end of the arena.

Fake it. Just for a while.

Tsuishima took in a deep breath. He fixed his stance and gave his trademark glare. He raised his hand and waved at Kuroo to come forward.

_"Come at me if you dare."_

Kuroo exhaled deeply. He tilted his head upwards, his eyes looking down slightly and then locking his gaze on him. Even though Tsukishima was the taller one, Kuroo's simple gaze made himself give off the energy of the tallest person in the world.

Tsukishima scanned the area around him. Somewhere they couldn't be seen clearly and somewhere where they could drop the act if they had to. The ledges. Second floor. From the time they've been here, he remembered that the hallways up there were like mazes. He looked to his left. The stairs. 

Dash. He pivoted and ran for the stairs. Tsukishima glanced behind him, seeing Kuroo a few feet away, running behind him. Tsukishima skipped steps as he arrived at the second floor, turning sharply as he went down the narrow passage. When he looked over the path, he could see the brutal battle down below. Kageyama was going feral. He kept going at Oikawa, throwing him down, yanking him up, and then letting Sugawara get in a hit, even though the pain would ricochet back to him. Suga was fuming, but Kageyama was being more brutal than ever. Tsukishima smirked at the sight.

"Nice one, you tyrant," he mumbled to himself as he turned into the next corner. The maze of hallways was in front of him. Tsukishima allowed himself to get lost in the area. After a few minutes, he stopped, pressing himself against the wall. Tsukishima tried to catch his breath as he put his hand against his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment.

Suddenly, he felt a heavy presence over him. Out of habit, Tsukishima whipped out his gun and pressed it against the person's chest in front of him. He didn't want to open his eyes. 

"It's me! It's me! Don't shoot...that'll hurt a lot."

Tsukishima opened his eyes to meet Kuroo's stare. The black haired man was over Tsukishima, his hands against the wall to trap Tsukishima against the wall he leaned against. Kuroo was close enough for him to feel the heavy breathing from all that running. Kuroo smirked slightly.

"Kind of familiar, isn't it?" Kuroo murmured, "The alley? _'You can't even defend yourself against this.', 'Between you and me, you can't thrive unless you try harder.',_ and of course _, "I saved your ass out there.'._ Ha, good times."

Tsukishima cocked his eyebrow, "Familiar? I don't think so."

He quickly pushed Kuroo away slightly with his gun, taking the small space to grab Kuroo to spin him around and pinning him against the wall. Now Kuroo was against the wall. Tsukishima put one arm over Kuroo's head, and the other still held the gun against Kuroo's chest. Tsukishima returned the smirk.

"I've gotten better... and don't even try to make yourself taller. Height doesn’t have to everything in order to be intimidating,” Tsukishima taunted. 

"You're only taller by a few inches," Kuroo shook his head a small smile on his face. Kuroo looked at him up and down, "And damn you look fine in a turtleneck. Never gets old,” he teased. 

Tsukishima bit his lip to hold back a chuckle, "You've only seen me in one once. There's no time for that right now," he urged, "What are we going to do? We can't just keep running around or go in hiding." 

"We can always fake your death," Kuroo offered.

"No, that's way too complicated," Tsukishima shook his head, "We don't have any fake blood or anything to make it seem realistic enough. Even if I did fake it, it would be hard to do it for a long time."

"I don't know-"

The sudden sound of running footsteps echoed. They abruptly stopped. Tsukishima glanced over to the beginning of the hallway. There stood the short agent from Nekodorani. The agent tilted his head as he stared at the scene in front of him. Tsukishima's eyes widened as he got closer at an alarming speed.

"Don't worry! I've got your back!" the agent yelled as he charged at Tsukishima. Tsukishima quickly lifted his arms to block as strong hit from the agent. His legs gave him a sturdy crutch as he pushed against the force of the agent. He pushed his arms out, which forced the other agent's arms away from his. Tsukishima cracked his neck as he glared at the agent. 

"Don't lose sight of everything," the agent smirked.

Oh he didn't.

Tsukishima whipped around, swiftly ducking at he saw the form of a fist. Another one of Nekodorani's agents showed up behind him. Tsukishima flipped his gun around to use the hilt of it to hit the side of the agents head. Tsukishima clicked his tongue as he felt a weight on him and the gun was ripped away. The smaller agents pulled him down to the ground. How could someone so small have so much force?

"Kai, hold his other arm!" the small agent shouted, "Kuroo, do your job! Finish it!"

Tsukishima grunted as more weight went on him. He stared at Kuroo, the man looking down at the holster on his belt. Tsukishima looked around, searching for any way to get out of this mess. 

"Tsukki!"

His eyes widened as he watched Kuroo fall down to his knees, his own back stinging a little. Yamaguchi's foot hung in the air for a moment. His friend smiled as he hopped over Kuroo and nonchalantly kicked one of the agents in the face. The grip loosened on one of his arms, so Tsukishima took the opportunity to yank his arm away, using it to hit the other agent. Tsukishima quickly got up and grabbed his gun that was tossed away. He high fived Yamaguchi. 

"You've been getting better," Tsukishima nodded.

"That's what I've been working on since you were gone," Yamaguchi smiled, "Go. I'll hold these guys back. Hinata and Tanaka were sent back to the van because someone tried to ambush Ennoshita. The people down there need more help. Go, go, go!"

Tsukishima lingered for a moment as Kuroo got back up. Kuroo just gave a subtle nod gesturing towards the left. Tsukishima ran in the other direction he came from. He kept going deeper and deeper into the maze of halls. Twists and turns appeared at every corner. He just kept going left and left. Eventually, Tsukishima stopped. He breathed heavily, the only sounds coming in were muffled shouts and hits. 

"COME HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Sugawara?

Tsukishima pressed himself against the wall again. He was at the end of an open hallway, but Sugawara's voice sounded like it was on the other side. 

Who else was there?

* * *

There were only two things Suga hated.

His enemies was one, of course. The second?

People who go back on their words. He despised people who went back on their words.

And that's the first thing that Oikawa Tooru decided to do.

All he saw was red in that moment. As Oikawa kept exposing Kageyama, Suga's beloved junior, he could feel burning heat rising and spreading throughout his body. The nerve he had! He agreed with everything that Suga had said before... and suddenly he decided to go back? Even after agreeing to the meeting?! 

So hit him where it hurts.

Out of a blind rage, Suga ripped his gloves off to display that fickle little hexagon. He had noticed Oikawa's mark for a while. At the bridge, Oikawa wasn't wearing gloves. The one time he didn't wear gloves. Even for that brief second, as Oikawa got on the motorbike, he saw that little hexagon clear as day. His priority was Inarizaki though. He just wanted to avoid that mark from then on out. 

In that moment on the bridge, he thought that Oikawa wasn't that bad. 

He was wrong.

People never change.

The moment the fight started, Suga and Kageyama charged for Oikawa. Kageyama landed the first blow, shoving the agent down with the weight of his fist. He then yanked Oikawa back up, hitting at him and not giving him a chance to defend himself. Kageyama stopped abruptly and then looked at Suga. Suga gladly puched Oikawa in the gut, shoving him back down with a kick.

He was fuming so much that he didn't even noticed the burning sensation on his abdomen. 

They kept at it for a while. Kageyama was eventually ripped off of Oikawa by Iwaizumi. Suga scowled as he watched Oikawa get gun and run. He kept looking up at the second floor. That's where Tsukishima-

Tsukishima.

Suga never ran faster in his life. He called Yamaguchi over to help him. They ran up the stairs. Suga could hear the sounds of fighting in one side, but on the left, Suga barely saw Oikawa turning into the corner. Suga pointed at Yamaguchi towards the direction of the fight, watching as the speckled agent ran in Tsukishima's aid. Suga narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the left.

"You aren't going to leave this place alive," he snarled as he started to run once more. 

The echo of his shoes was what rang through his ears, but it was drowned out by the sound of hot blood pounding in his ears. Suga stopped after a few minutes of running after Oikawa. He was near the beginnings of the halls, with the halls of his left and the view of the battle on his right. He stared at the sight down below. Hinata and Tanaka ran outside, going to help out Ennoshita in the car. Daichi grappled many of the agents on his own, while Asahi backed him up. Nishinoya and Kageyama worked together on Iwaizumi. 

Akaashi had ran off after that agent started to chase him. Tsukishima did too.

Those two...they were targets weren't they? Suga could feel the rage seeping back in. He dared to try to hurt his teammates at a conference that was supposed to be peaceful? 

"Come here," Suga mumbled quietly. He took out his gun and clicked bullets into place. He gripped his gun, hard enough for his hand to become even paler than it already was.

"COME HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

The words echoed. 

Some clicking. Suga looked ahead of him to see Oikawa. He was all bruised from their hits, a small stream of blood coming out of his nose. Suga felt the burning sensation on his body a little more clearly, but he ignored it.

"Oh look, you answer to your name," Suga smirked. His smirk fell quickly as he straighten his arm and held the gun up to Oikawa.

Oikawa sighed, "What are you going to do?" he asked, "Shoot me? Kill me?"

"Along those lines, yeah," Suga spat as he cocked his gun, "You really know how to get on someone's nerves!"

Oikawa stepped forward, not wavered by Suga's threat. Oikawa stared at the gun and then back at Suga. 

"Shoot," Oikawa bluntly said. The man was just a few feet away from him, not fazed by the barrel in front of him. 

Suga's nose twitched. No fight? No rioting or yelling? His finger was right on the trigger. He could kill him in an instant. Suga felt his lip curl into a frustrated scowl. Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger. Pull the trigger! Do it Suga! He's right there...

The aqua blue hexagon on Oikawa's hand caught his eyes once more. Ignore it. Pull the trigger. It's not that hard! He's so close to you. Your soulmate... is right there. Shoot... shoot...

He sighed. 

"You can't," Oikawa noted, "No matter how much you say that you hate me, you'll never be able to shoot me. Never," he calmly stated, "You can hit me, you can beat me, you can do everything in your will to make me suffer."

Oikawa held the barrel of Suga's gun.

"But you'll never be able to kill me because deep down your little heart.... your soulmate instinct doesn't want to give up that easily."

He suddenly twisted the gun out of Suga's grip, taking the gun into his own hands and throwing it away from them. Oikawa stared down at Suga, a small laugh coming out of his mouth. Suga scowled once more, "If I can't kill you, then I'll beat you to a pulp! You said that you'll maul us, but look down there... we're winning!"

Suga glanced back at the fight, seeing Daichi leading against the others. Iwaizumi was putting quite a fight against Kageyama and Nishinoya, put two was always better than one. Suga looked back at Oikawa with a smirk, "So much for taking down Inarizaki with your own hands."

Another chuckle rumbled in Oikawa's throat. The man started to laugh.

"No... but you'll be short two agents from this day forward."

Oikawa lunged past Suga and turned into a hallway. Suga heard the noises of struggle, but soon blond hair peeked out. Tsukishima was being pushed farther and farther back, Oikawa's hands pressing against his neck. Suga gasped as Oikawa shoved Tsukishima dangerously close to the ledge, the blond desperately grasping and scratching at Oikawa's hands. Suga could feel the burns on his hand.

"Let him go!" Suga screamed, the color red appearing over his vision again, "He has nothing to do with any of-" 

Oikawa let out another laugh, "Ha! Shiratorizawa wants two of your agents dead. We have to compromise," he chirped, his grip digging deeper. Suga could hear Tsukishima's short breaths. Suga started to go towards them.

"Ah! One more step and I'll throw him down to the first floor," Oikawa warned, loosening his grip slightly, "I'm saving him for someone."

Suga halted. He didn't take his eyes off of Tsukishima. The scratching started to become slower as the blond caught some air. Suga's eyes widened as he felt the presence of another agent. He saw black hair bouncing as the agent ran down the hallway.

"Tetsu-chan!" Oikawa shouted, "I've got him. You have to be the one to finish this, so do it now. I think Kou-chan has the other one cornered. Let's go!"

Suga wanted to do something, but if he did Tsukishima would fall to his death. Oikawa took his gun...

Pathetic.

He could have just ended it. If he didn't talk to Oikawa in the first place none of this would have happened. They got into this mess because he thought they could turn around the whole rival thing. He thought they could get along for once.

It's all his fault.

* * *

Kuroo had the urge to throw Oikawa off the ledge.

He stared at the scene in front of him. Sugawara was frozen a few feet away. Oikawa was standing over someone, pressing a person harshly against the ledge. His hands were digging into a pale neck...

Tsukishima was scratching at Oikawa's hands. His mouth opened and closed, trying so hard to catch air. Kuroo had trouble swallowing. The was an immense pressure on his own neck. Oikawa glanced back at Kuroo.

"What are you waiting for?!" Oikawa yelled.

Kuroo got closer and closer. He made it to where Oikawa was and glanced down at Tsukishima. His eyes started to roll back and his hand was starting to give up on Oikawa's arms....

Kuroo shoved Oikawa away, making sure to get a hold of Tsukishima and pulling him away from the ledge. Tsukishima gasped loudly as he rubbed his own neck, giving a few violent coughs. Kuroo glared back at Oikawa as he stood up.

Oikawa was stumbling from the shove, but he quickly got a hold of himself. Oikawa stood up straight, raising his eyebrows at Kuroo. He took strides over to Kuroo, swooping down to pick up a gun that he been tossed away, "Do you really want to do it yourself that badly?"

"I-..."

"If you're going to hesitate this much on a rookie agent, I'll do it," Oikawa sharply replied as he pointed the gun at Tsukishima. The blond was having a hard time regaining his breathing rhythm. Tsukishima stared up at Oikawa. His finger was already pushing against the trigger....

"NO!" 

Kuroo lunged at Oikawa shoving Oikawa's arm up. The loud ring of the gunshot echoed around the entire arena. The bullet hit the ceiling and the empty shell clattered on the floor. Kuroo ripped the gun away from Oikawa, throwing it over the ledge. He took Oikawa's extra gun from his holster, throwing it over the ledge as well. Oikawa gave the nastiest stare at Kuroo.

"What. The. **Hell**?!" Oikawa roared, "What is your problem?!"

Kuroo gave a soft sigh, glancing back at Tsukishima. The blond finally regained his rhythm and strength, standing back up. Kuroo sighed once more in relief. He then looked at Oikawa dead in the eyes. 

"You. You're the problem," Kuroo snapped. 

"Wha- Tetsu-chan. Did you get hit in the head? This is the guy you've been going at for months. We can finally-"

"We?" Kuroo whispered, "We?! It's not 'we', it's you!" he raised his voice.

"Tetsu-chan, what do you think you're-"

"You want to know what I think?" he started, getting riled up even more, "I'll tell you.... I'll tell everyone!"

Kuroo pulled out his own gun, getting as close as he could to the edge of the ledge. He raised his gun in the air and shot. Three times. The loud sound of multiple gun shots rang throughout the entire arena. Kuroo watched as everyone's heads started to turn towards Kuroo. He took a deep breath in. 

"Enough with the fighting!" he yelled above the arena, "I'll tell you the real reason why we are here!"

Kuroo made sure that his communicator was in the group channel. Kenma needed to hear this too.

"It's not just because of Inarizaki... and it's not just because of Sugawara and Oikawa's issues."

He took in another deep breath. He raised his voice a few notches. 

"Years ago, we, Nekodorani, signed a contract to be under Shiratorizawa's clutches. Everyday, there are handful of innocent and bad people dying by our hands because of Ushijima. I can't be the only one who is getting frustrated with this. We are not some pawns on a field just to be tossed away...we are agents! We aren't supposed to do these small pathetic tasks just because our own lives are in the palms of Shiratorizawa!"

A little murmuring came from below.

"Recently, Ushijima wanted the death of two Birds of Prey agents. One of them were assigned to me. Do you know why that's a problem?" he asked out loud. Kuroo glanced at Tsukishima, who was now standing near him.

"I couldn't kill him. No matter what, I didn't have it in me to kill and complete my mission. Do you know why?!"

He pointed at Tsukishima.

"He's my soulmate. My target is my soulmate!" he shouted, "Even after months of ignoring my mark and everything, I couldn't kill him. I fell... so hard. Even after he found out about everything, he stayed. He stayed by my side and I told him that I would do anything to make sure," he caught his breath, "To make sure... that Shiratorizawa would never lay a finger on him. I gained his trust again, and that's something I can't afford to lose."

Some gasps.

"So here's the real announcement," Kuroo yelled again, "Here's what I have to say!"

Kuroo stepped back. First, he took off his holster, taking it and throwing it to the ground. He put his gun down for a moment, unzipping his vest. A sudden weight was lifted off of him. Kuroo took it off, holding it in front of him. His fingers grazed the colors of their agency. He held it out in front of him, dropping it over the ledge. A soft thud was heard. Lastly, Kuroo threw his gun over the ledge as well.

"I can always replaced this thrill. I can always go to another agency. I can always find another calling in life, but I will never! I will never find another soulmate! I will never have another opportunity to be with what fate wanted me to have. I'm not going to throw away that chance!"

One last deep breath.

"I quit!" he shouted, "I, Kuroo Tetsurou, humbly resign from Nekodorani agency! My time with all of you was great. If you find me foolish for dropping this job for love... it's fine. If you think it's silly of me to be with my rival, it's fine! I know what will make me happy in the long run!"

Silence. Kuroo dropped his tense shoulders. He looked over at the arena, at all those wide eyes. Someone stood up straight from afar. The sound of another unzipping vest could be heard.

Bokuto dropped his vest to the ground, "My story is almost the same. My soulmate... is from Birds of Prey. If the only way I could stay in Nekodorani is to kill him... then I won't have it."

Akaashi rose next to him. Kuroo could see Bokuto taking Akaashi's hand in his, "I'm resigning! It's been a great run!"

Kuroo grinned. Yes, that's it. Rise up. Rise up and make Oikawa realize what's going on. Just one certain person will do the trick....

"Shittykawa!"

The voice boomed across the arena.

"If you're really that angry about some of our agents giving up on a mission, then I have some bad news for you. You have no idea what we’ve been through because of Shiratorizawa. You have no idea how we all feel about it. How _I_ feel about it."

Iwaizumi turned to look at Sawamura, "I've been dating the leader of the agency you despise so much! If I have to hurt him because of Ushiwaka and because of your selfish and egotistical thoughts...."

He unzipped his vest. The vest slid down his arms and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Then you're own your own!" he yelled, "Call me back to work if you've changed your mind!" 

Iwaizumi stormed out of the arena, Bokuto soon following after waiving goodbye to Akaashi. Kuroo stared back at Oikawa, whose face was frozen with shock. Oikawa's eyes followed Iwaizumi as he left the building. His best friend. His long time partner in crime. Gone.

If Oikawa truly cared for them, he would call them back the next day.

"Thank you for your hard work," Kuroo slightly bowed to Oikawa. He looked at Tsukishima and gave a soft smile, "I'll see you later," he softly murmured, giving him a tiny peck on the cheek. Kuroo walked past Tsukishima and down the stairs. So many eyes were on him, but Kuroo kept walking with his head up high. As he went out the door, the cold air hit his face. Iwaizumi and Bokuto stood outside. Iwaizumi had his phone in his hand, most likely requesting for another car.

Kuroo smiled a little.

This was one of the first times Kuroo stood up for himself. There had never been so much adrenaline through his veins before. His hands shook slightly from the sudden rush. It would be a little hard to build up again if Oikawa didn't bring them back....

But he had other people behind him. He had other people to rise up with him.

He wasn't alone. He was finally free from the clutches of Shiratorizawa. He had enough time to think of ways to help against the battle against Inarizaki and the other gangs. He had more time to be with the person he loved. 

For once, Kuroo could breathe clearly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this did some justice. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Next: The inside battle is calming down...but what about at the vans?


	42. Contour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contour/: to mold into a specific shape: to change the form of an object or person.

"Oh my god!"

Hinata's mouth was shaped into an 'o'. He turned off his earpiece as he looked back at Tanaka, "Did you hear all of that?" he gaped, "Did you? Did you?"

"We have a little more pressing matters here," Tanaka gestured as he tended to Ennoshita's wounds. The three of them were sitting in the van. Some of their equiment was scattered around the seats, but nothing was broken. Okay, one thing was broken. It was the lock to the back door. That's how the ambush happened. Thankfully, Ennoshita was conscious, just a few cuts, but no major injuries. 

"I know, but it's really shocking," Hinata continued as he moved to sit next to Tanaka, "Three. _Three_ of Nekodorani's agents left. Those are like... the pillars of the agency! What's going to happen to them now?"

Tanaka plastered a band-aid on Ennoshita's forehead, "That Oikawa bastard won't change," he grumbled, "Knowing him, I wouldn't even be surprised if he never did call them back to work."

"Nah," Hinata hummed, "He's smarter than that. I mean- he is one of the top agents out there! He wouldn't just abandon his teammates... just because they wanted to love, right?"

"Maybe. Suga did reject him," Tanaka chuckled, "He really went off on his own soulmate. Wow! I would never have the guts to do that to my own soulmate. Then again, Kiyoko could suplex me if she wanted to," he sheepishly added.

Hinata glanced over at Ennoshita, "Setting all that aside- are you okay? We didn't even asked what happened." 

Ennoshita groaned as he sat up, "It really wasn't nothing major. They went out on their own. I don't even think they were from Nekodorani..."

"What do you mean?" Tanaka furrowed his eyebrows, "There shouldn't be anyone else out here. The A.A is supposed to be a protected area."

"I don't know, but I didn't recognize their symbol. They were just wear black vests, but they had a fox brooch-"

"A fox?!" the two shouted in unison.

Ennoshita flinched, "Yeah...but they left pretty quickly. They moved on somewhere else."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tanaka waved his hands, "Are you sure? If it was a fox brooch, it could have been Inarizaki."

"No... it can't be. If they were out here, they were out here they would have worn their masks. Those people didn't have any masks on, just caps."

Hinata squeezed his hands together, "Did you see their eye color? Or even a glimpse of their hair?"

"Grey eyes for one. The other one had some black hair peaking out," Ennoshita replied as he rubbed his head, "If they really meant to attack, then it must have been someone else. As soon as one of them saw my face, they just dropped what they were doing and left."

"They could be going for Nekodorani," Tanaka pointed out. 

Hinata squinted his eyes, "Yeah, but everyone in Nekodorani is inside. Who would-"

The words hung on Hinata's tongue. His eyes widened as he felt a blooming pain in his legs. He could practically feel scratching on the back of his hand. For some reason, it felt like it was done on purpose. The scratches made out letters.

H...

E...

L...

P.

Help.

Hinata tensed as more burns bloomed on his legs. Of course. They had to bring someone to help with the radio channels. Hinata whipped around, swinging the door open and jumping out. The only weapon he had was a small dagger, but it would do. He ran down the snowy road, looking desperately for another van.

"Kenma.....Kenma...!" he raised his voice as he spotted Nekodorani's van. It was awfully quiet. Hinata hissed as he felt as pressure on his face. Inarizaki did target Kenma once. It was likely that they went for him again. 

As he got closer to the van, Hinata halted. He could still feel the scratches on his hands. A few sharp pains bloomed here and there. Hinata took in a deep breath, cracking his knuckles as he looked at the van.

"Help is on the way."

* * *

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe! Goddammit, breathe for crying out loud!

Kenma kept scratching at his hand, spelling out a word. His hands and arms were free, but it was hard to use them. A hand was pushing up on his face, the thumb digging into the crevasse where his jawline ended. The other fingers covered most of his mouth and one nostril. Their other hand was on Kenma's neck, pressing down slightly and adding more pressure with every passing minute. A weight was suddenly on him. The person who had Kenma's legs pinned down was digging their nails into his calves. 

Kenma stopped scratching, trying to curl up closer to what he was protecting. He somewhat wrapped his arms around his computer and headset. He couldn't let them know what went down. He had turned off the communicator the moment he saw them outside the van. Kenma had just shut his equipment and held onto them tightly. He couldn't call Kuroo or anyone. Kenma gave shuddered breath out. The person on him sighed. 

Suna stared down at him. 

"It would be much easier on you," he murmured, "If you just let go of it." 

Kenma slightly shook his head, "Never," he barely whispered out. 

His bit his lip as the thumb dug deeper into his jaw, "Oh... c'mon. I don't want to bring my title into play," Suna sighed. 

"You really don't," Osamu piped in from behind, "That guy.. is the Contourist. And not the one in dermatology."

Suna tapped one of his fingers on Kenma's face, "Contour. It's one of my favorite words. To mold something into it's best form...."

The fingers suddenly tightened. 

"So if you don't let go of that damn computer, I'll take you instead," Suna whispered as he got closer to Kenma's ear, "I'll take you back to base and turn you into the optimal form. I'll break your nose to become smaller... I'll break your hands and arms to crumple into something useless. I could do so much... but there's one thing that I have a preference to when it comes to damage.”

Suna diverted his gaze to Kenma's legs, "Legs. They can be so pretty, so delicate. So perfect. They don't need contouring....but for some reason, when I see any friend of Ushijima and his gang..."

Kenma felt chills crawl up his spine.

"I have the urge to break those legs so much. I could even amputate and put them on display, but that just messes up the rest of the picture," he smiled slightly, "I'll make you paralyzed just like Shibaru! I'll let your pretty little legs sit uselessly until I want to do away with you!"

Kenma tightened his arms around his computer. All of their past chats and missions were recorded for the agency record. If they got to this, it would be all over for Nekodorani and Shiratorizawa. He couldn't let his friends die because of that. He couldn't let his teammates take the fall because of him. 

"Then so be it," Kenma mumbled. 

The two men paused. Kenma heard Osamu laughing softly.

"You really have some nerve for such an insignificant being," Osamu whispered from behind.

The hands tightened around his legs. Kenma pressed his lips into a thin line. He started scratching as his hand again. 

_"Please... you're my only hope right now. C'mon..."_

The door swung open. A little bit of light shined in. Kenma glanced over, his body relaxing slightly.

Shouyou stood there. He cracked his neck as he stared at the two yakuza members, "Well! If you're going to run away from us like that, then you should have at least apologized to our agent."

Kenma had never seen someone's eyes darken so quickly.

Shouyou jumped on Suna, ripping him away from Kenma. The van wobbled from side to side. Shouyou tumbled into Osamu while tackling down Suna, the Yakuza member's cap falling off. The small agent quickly got up and went at them. Osamu went away from Kenma to help Suna. Kenma scrambled up, still clutching onto the computer. Kenma pressed himself against the walls of the van, trying not to get into Shouyou's way.

Shouyou dodged every single hit that came his way. He grabbed Osamu's arm and swung him around, using the fast momentum to slam him into Suna. The two harshly bumped against the side doors of the van. Shouyou pressed the button that opened the door. He backed up slightly. 

Then he lunged once more at the two Yakuza members, shoving them outside into the road.

"Rope! Rope!" Shouyou yelled from the outside.

Kenma looked around. There were only electric cable ties. Kenma shoved the computer and the headset somewhere safe. He took the cable ties and went outside. He quickly tossed them to Shouyou, who had one of the Yakuza members pinned down.

"Where's...?" Kenma asked quietly.

"Osamu ran away," Shouyou breathed out, "Some teamwork, huh?"

Shouyou tightened the cable ties around Suna's wrists, "I should break your hands," the small agent shook his head, "but I'm not as evil as you are to go two on one. And on a hacker. You're just all talk."

"Ha... at least I'm not helping the enemy," Suna spat. 

Kenma looked up at Shouyou. The agent was staring down at Kenma's hand, which was all red and filled with nail marks and scratches. Shouyou just shook his head as he returned his focus to Suna. It became silent for a moment. 

The two looked up at the sound of running filling the void. Kenma watched as Kuroo ran up to them. His friend stared down at Suna and then back up at Kenma, "Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?" Kuroo asked quickly as he looked at Kenma's face for injuries. 

"I'm fine," Kenma nodded, "Just some scratches."

Kuroo sighed, "I heard about Inarizaki from one of the Birds of Prey agents... where's the other?"

"Ran away," Shouyou piped in. 

"Okay, first things first-"

"Kuroo", Kenma interrupted, "This isn't your fight for now," he mumbled quietly.

He resigned. Even if Kuroo did come back later on, all agencies had the rule that ex-agents shouldn't mess around with that sort of business unless they return. Some agencies had exceptions. Kuroo wouldn't be able to participate in Nekodorani until he came back. 

Kenma watched as Kuroo's hand dropped to his side. He paused, but then nodded slightly, "Right. Birds of Prey territory," Kuroo murmured as he gestured towards Shouyou. 

Kuroo clenched his fists slightly. Kenma was pretty sure Shouyou could handle it.

He shouldn't have said that. 

Suna took advantage of the relaxed atmosphere. He used all his strength to throw Shouyou off of him. Kuroo's eyes widened and he tried to go forward to stop Suna, The Yakuza member was quick though. In a matter of seconds, Suna turned himself on his back and brought his legs close to him as possible. He arched back and used the momentum of his legs to stand himself up. Suna dashed down the road. 

Kuroo ran after him along with Shouyou. 

"I really can't stop him," Kenma muttered to himself as he watched Kuroo become smaller and smaller. 

He was always ambitious since they were kids. It really was no surprise to Kenma when he dropped everything for his soulmate. Kenma's gaze landed on Shouyou, who was coming back with his head low.

"Osamu had a car up ahead," Shouyou sighed as he went up to Kenma, "Suna barely escaped the rooster's fingers!"

"Pft!" Kenma laughed a little, "Rooster, you say? I think you know he's not supposed to be working anymore."

Shouyou looked at Kenma, "You heard all of it too?" he asked, "That was pretty brave of your teammates to do."

The small agent looked at Kenma's hand. He gently lifted it in his own hand, turning it side to side to look at the nail marks. Shouyou pursed his lips, "I'm glad I made it in time. We didn't even get to talk about anything yet!"

Kenma stared into those brown eyes. This was the man who didn't hesitate to save him twice. Even before any of this went down, he was already willing to be friends. Even after he found out that Kenma was from Nekodorani, he didn't shy or run away from Kenma. He stayed. Kenma was pleased that he stayed. That's why he put his life into their soulmate connection. That's why he trusted that Shouyou would show up and help him. 

He liked that Shouyou stayed despite everything. 

Everyone else was shooting their shot. So...

It wouldn't hurt to do the same, right?

Kenma gave his best smile.

"Set a time and place. We're getting our talk soon."

* * *

Hours have passed. By now everyone should be back at their agencies. 

Atsumu swung his legs up on the chair. He tapped a pen against his forehead as he waited for his brother and Suna to arrive. Just a little bit of information...even if it was a tiny smudge, would really help them progress.

They were smarter than most people estimated. 

"Ah... I miss Omi-kun," he pouted as he looked around. Sakusa went out to deal with some business. Things were boring without him around. Thankfully, they were still chipping away at the agencies and Shiratorizawa.

He turned his head as the door opened. Suna flexed his fingers as he walked up to Atsumu. Osamu soon appeared behind him. 

"Failed!" Osamu shrugged.

Atsumu scowled, "Really? We needed this. It was literally the perfect opportunity! How?"

"More agents showed up," Osamu replied, "I don't know how, but some agent came to help out Nekodorani's brain. Then again...we did go into the wrong van at first."

"What?!"

"Hey, you can't tell one black van apart from the other," Osamu huffed. 

Atsumu groaned, "There isn't going to be another opportunity like this. What are you going to do-"

"Um."

The two brothers turned to look at Suna, who started to speak up. 

"This might sound far-fetched.... but I have a hunch about what's going down between Nekodorani and Birds of Prey. Something just seemed off about that hacker and the agent...."

At this point, Atsumu would take anything. 

"All right.. talk to me," he nodded as he clasped his hands together.

Suna looked at him in the eyes, "They way they looked at each other, the agent and the hacker... is similar to the way you look at Sakusa. Not to mention... I think one of their agents resigned during the fight at A.A. He tried to jump in on me, but the hacker stopped him and mumbled something about it not being in his lane."

The hacker? 

Now that he mentioned it... it was kind of strange how fast one of the Birds of Prey agents acted when the hacker was attacked by him. It didn't seem like it was their first time meeting each other. The agent also didn't hesitate to take him into safety. 

"Where is this going?" Osamu murmured.

Suna looked at the two of them, lingering on each of the brothers for a second. He knew that look. Suna was very analytical. He always told them something when he had a good feeling about it. If he mentioned Atsumu and Sakusa's relationship, then...

Atsumu smirked.

Oh? Is this where it was going? 

Suna narrowed his eyes as he looked at Atsumu once more.

**"Call me crazy, but I think that there are some... soulmate tensions between the two agencies."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you waiting! I had to rewrite the chapter because my computer crashed before I could save it :(  
> Thanks for reading :)


	43. Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days passed.  
> Tsukishima does his best to try to help Kuroo, who is going through "thrill withdrawal".

The agencies had temporarily closed.

Nekodorani closed because they couldn't handle the work overflow. With the absence of Kuroo, Bokuto and Iwaizumi, many missions were on delay. Shiratorizawa was on the brim of fuming at them, but Ushijima had the tiniest soft spot for Oikawa, so he didn't chew them to bits for it. Nekodorani still couldn't handle the pressure though. For the sake of the agents left, Oikawa had decided to halt all missions. 

It was also said that Oikawa needed time to think about something.

Birds of Prey closed because they really needed a break. The sudden drop of information on them needed to sink in properly. Not to mention, many of their agents got injured, so they needed time to heal. 

There was also one person who couldn't calm down too.

Tsukishima drummed his fingers against his leg as he looked at Sugawara, who was sitting across from them. He sat next to Sawamura while Akaashi was on the other side. Every late afternoon, Sawamura called the ones who had soulmates in Nekodorani to try to sort something out. Except for Hinata... since he didn't know about him yet. The reason they were trying to sort something out was because-

Tsukishima ducked as a packet of papers flew past him. He sighed heavily.

Sugawara wasn't a big fan of the idea. They had to figure something out in order to work properly as a team. 

"You two could have been killed," Suga repeated as he looked back and forth at Tsukishima and Akaashi, "And you!"

He slammed his hands on the desk as he looked at Sawamura, "You really hid that from us for two years. Two years!" 

"For the fiftieth time," Akaashi mumbled, "They had so many opportunities to kill us, but they didn't. They literally saved us at the point where it would have been easier to kill us. They had months to do it when we were housed with them, but they didn't do anything. Tsukishima even lunged at Kuroo at one point, but he didn't try to kill him either. There was no killing!"

Akaashi was starting to get frustrated. 

"And I know that I hid it from you," Sawamura defended, "I understand, but I just didn't know how to bring it up. I really wanted to tell you, honest. I was just waiting for the right time-"

Suga looked back at Tsukishima, "What about you? You haven't said anything these past days."

Tsukishima sighed, "Do you really want the truth?"

Suga nodded slightly.

"Don't take out your anger on us," Tsukishima quietly stated, "I'm pretty sure you know very well about our situations. You bring up the same arguments every time we meet. I'm pretty sure you'd actually be okay with it... if it wasn't for Oikawa."

"Tsukishima," Sawamura sharply interrupted.

"Maybe you should really take this break to collect your thoughts," Tsukishima continued despite Sawamura's warning, "It would be better for you to actually meditate rather than avoid your situation. Trust me. If you avoid it for too long, something really could go wrong." 

Silence. Tsukishima swallowed thickly.

Sugawara fell back in his seat in defeat, "Okay. I'll meditate. I'll take this break. Let's see if it does change."

The three watched as Sugawara got up and left quickly. Tsukishima shook his head in his hands, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's alright," Sawamura reassured, "I wanted to say something similar, but if I'm being honest, he's a scary fellow when he gets riled up. The few times I did talk back when he was angry, I found myself in the gym's martial arts room. Not fun."

The three chuckled a little. Sugawara was one of the agents that could have everyone shaking in their boots. He was a nice guy, but the moment he snaps, that refreshing personality is thrown out the window.

"Well, you're on your own if you end up in a boxing ring," Akaashi added on as he looked at Tsukishima. 

"I really hope he takes the advice seriously," Tsukishima admitted, "I shouldn't have said it in this moment, but it really was something he needed."

Akaashi and Sawamura crossed their arms, "Look at you being all cocky to your senior," they said in unison.

"But do you agree with me?" Tsukishima retorted.

Hesitating, the two nodded their heads slightly.

"Exactly," Tsukishima smirked, "Now if you'll excuse me, I kind of have someone to deal with."

"You too?" Akaashi asked as he got up.

Tsukishima nodded. Sawamura was already tapping away on his phone. 

Agents could get pretty antsy after days of being out of action. 

* * *

Very antsy. 

Tsukishima pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat on his bed, "Let me get this straight. You. You who is currently out of a job, went on a whim and...."

He opened his eyes once again. Tsukishima was staring at Kuroo, who was looking rather pleased with himself. In his arms, Kuroo held a small wriggling creature.

"You went and adopted a puppy," Tsukishima stated, "A puppy. A. Golden. Retriever. Puppy."

Kuroo nodded, "Isn't she cute?" he cooed as he patted the puppy's head, "Her name is Goldie. You know... like the dog from Animal Crossing! I've been playing a lot of Pocket Camp lately, so I kinda got the urge to get another dog. Besides, I was already planning to get another one a long time ago, so-"

"Kuroo."

Both Kuroo and the puppy looked up at him. Tsukishima sighed softly, "You can't go around buying things on impulse. Yesterday you went indoor skydiving. The other day you bought an entire new wardrobe. You bought a car too. A car! And all in a week!"

"To be fair, I needed it. Bokuto and I shared a rental before."

"Not my point," Tsukishima intervened, "You can't keep splurging. Do you want debt? Do you want to die with your debt engraved on your casket?"

Kuroo started to hold up the puppy to his face.

"No. Kuroo, don't avoid your issues!" Tsukishima back up as Kuroo got the puppy closer to his face, "Don't try to guilt trip me with a puppy. That's just low."

Kuroo pouted, "I know. I know," he said as he set the puppy down on the bed, "I'm just getting a little bit bored... it's weird not going on missions. My hand is pretty much okay," he said as he looked down at the brace on his hand, "I'm literally at prime condition, but I can't go out on missions. Oikawa hasn't even texted any of us yet."

Kuroo started fiddling with his fingers. He got really quiet.

Okay, now he felt a little bad. It was out of the ordinary to see someone like Kuroo look down. Disturbing, even. 

Tsukishima shook his head a little, "C'mon, I'll take you out."

"To be honest, I don’t think fighting out pent up boredom will do very well, especially considering that-“

"What? No. No, not that kind of “taking out”. I mean on a date,” Tsukishima answered, "I'll take you wherever you want, but! Promise me that you'll spend your money a little more... wisely."

"Does that mean I have to return Goldie?" Kuroo asked quietly.

Tsukishima looked down at the puppy, who was now happily rolling around on one of Tsukishima's hoodies that was on the bed. She attempted to get up, but tripped on the sleeve of the hoodie. Nevertheless, she got back up and made her way over to Tsukishima. 

"No. She can stay," Tsukishima decided as he gently ruffled the puppy's ears, "Just go get ready."

Kuroo happily scooped up Goldie as he left Tsukishima's bedroom. He quickly turned around as looked back at Tsukishima.

"By the way, you may need to get out your best 70's outfit," Kuroo smiled. He then left, that smile still on his face.

70's?

Oh this was going to be a long night.

* * *

"What did I say about splurging?!" Tsukishima shouted over the noise. 

"Hey! Technically, I'm splurging your money, not mine!" Kuroo remarked as he stuck out his tongue. 

After leaving Goldie with Yamaguchi, the two ended up here. They were entering "The Indigo Bell", a nightclub and bar. It was all 70's, 80's, and 90's themed. Apparently, today was a 70's day and half off in celebration of the nightclub's anniversary. There were jukeboxes scattered around and old fashioned furniture. The vintage posters and vinyls adored the walls. The whole dance floor was lighted up, different colors appearing as people danced on them. Kuroo and Tsukishima flashed their IDs as the went in. 

"Oh?" Kuroo exclaimed as he pointed at someone.

Bokuto and Akaashi stood across from them, "Oh?" Bokuto exclaimed as he pointed to someone behind them.

They all looked at the entrance to see Sawamua and Iwaizumi. 

"Wow! The whole gang is here!" Bokuto smiled as he tilted down his sunglasses. Everyone was decked out in a 70's outfit. The three pairs just looked at each other and the shrugged.

"Half-off is half-off," Kuroo commented as he went on.

"This was the place where we he asked me to be his boyfriend," Iwaizumi pointed out as he pulled Sawamura further into the nightclub.

"I just wanted to dance!" Bokuto chirped as he followed everyone.

"You guys didn't have to make up excuses," Tsukishima mumbled to Akaashi as they went on in.

"Yeah, but they need to clear their minds. Bokuto had been rearranging the whole apartment all this week," Akaashi sighed as they went near the bar, "Let's get a little loose before we start dancing."

"Dancing?" Tsukishima asked skeptically, "I don't dance."

Akaashi laughed as he grabbed some beer from the bartender, "Don't lie. I know what you're hiding. You think I don't remember the academy reunion party-"

"Let's not talk about that!" Tsukishima quickly intervened as he took one of the bottles from Akaashi. He took a swig of beer as he looked out on the dance floor. Kuroo and Bokuto were already going hard, even without any alcohol in them. Iwaizumi and Sawamura danced together, intertwining spins and footwork with the upbeat music. As the song ended, Kuroo bounded over to Tsukishima. 

"A glass of whiskey," Tsukishima turned to the bartender as Kuroo leaned against the counter. 

Kuroo took off his orange tinted sunglasses, "You remembered," he smiled, "I'm touched!"

He grabbed the glass of whiskey as soon as it was placed down and took a drink, "Are you going to join me?" Kuroo asked.

"Maybe a little later," Tsukishima replied, "I'm not really a good dancer."

Kuroo's eyebrow quirked up, "I doubt that, but okay. I want to dance with you at some point, so make sure to put those long legs to use!"

Kuroo barely managed to set his glass down before Bokuto came up. He grabbed Akaashi and Kuroo by the wrists and pulled them onto the dance floor. Many American songs were playing on the jukeboxes. _"Stayin' Alive"_ was currently the one going on. A slight smile appeared on Tsukishima's face as he watched Kuroo repeating the famous _Saturday Night Live_ dance. 

"I wouldn't stare at that one," someone piped in as they sat next to Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima turned his head to look at a girl. She had light brown hair and a slightly parted bang. She held a glass of wine, swirling it around as she stared at Kuroo. 

"Mika," she introduced herself, "And like I said, I wouldn't go for him. He's a player."

 _"One of the girls he's been with before?"_ Tsukishima thought to himself. He spoke out loud, "A player?"

"He's not faithful to his own soulmate," she sighed, "I doubt he's ever met his yet. I guess you haven't either since you're here," she noted as she looked at Tsukishima up and down. His arms were covered by a yellow button up with an abstract design. It was one of the shirts he bought on their first date. The long sleeve covered his mark.

"He's someone quite peculiar," she continued, "He's working as an agent. I went to academy with him.... he was so pathetic though!"

Wait.

"I was with that dumbass with a whole year, and what for?" she asked aloud, "Just for me to get expelled because of him? Ha!" 

Oh.

It was _her_. 

The girl who framed Kuroo for using steroids. The girl who tried to burn Kuroo's dorm down. The girl who gave Kuroo that burn mark, which made him cover it up out of insecurity and bad memories. 

Tsukishima scowled lightly.

"If you want to get cheated on and lied to, go for it!" she yelled at him over the music, "He said that he loved me, but he wasn't even willing to take a small fall for me," she ended as she took a sip of wine, "If you don't though, I can go ruin him a little bit for all he's done."

Tsukishima placed his beer bottle down harshly. There was a loud clank, but the bottle didn't break. 

Suddenly, a familiar song came up. He had heard it from a movie that he and Kuroo watched last week.

_Grease's "You're the One that I Want"._

The people on the dance floor spread out. A circle was formed as the familiar bass started to play the intro. It looked like they were waiting for a couple to go to the center of the circle. Kuroo was pushed in. Kuroo hesitated, but then he started to feel the rhythm of the song. He tapped his feet to the tune. Bokuto threw his leather jacket at Kuroo to get the similar vibe to the movie. Kuroo slipped it on as he went around the circle, giving high fives to the people cheering. 

"Someone get this man a partner!" shouted many people. Some girls eyed him. Tsukishima furrowed his eyebrows and then looked back at Mika. 

_"I'll show you how he's changed,"_ Tsukishima scowled in his head as he went towards the dance floor. He pushed up his golden rimmed glasses, which he had put to complete the outfit as he got closer. He slowly made his way to the inner ring of the circle, watching as Kuroo started Danny's solo dance. 

_"I got chills, multiplying..."_

Kuroo flawlessly did the choreography dance, throwing off part of the leather jacket as he rolled his shoulders. His white shirt was already starting to get dotted with sweat drops. Sandy's part was coming up...

Here we go. Tsukishima slapped his cheeks a little. He hadn't danced in a while, but...

He had to prove that snake wrong.

Tsukishima started to snap to the rhythm. Kuroo made eye contact with him and smiled widely. 

_"You better shape up... cause I need a man,"_ Tsukishima lip synced as he made his way to Kuroo, following the footwork. 

"Yeah you do!" Kuroo shouted happily as he spun Tsukishima around. 

He could feel his ears getting red, but as he glanced towards the bar, he saw Mika's expression becoming sour. Tsukishima smirked. 

_"You're the one that I want! Ooh~ Ooh~ Honey!"_ the loudspeaker sang out as Kuroo and Tsukishima danced along, what seemed like the whole world watching. _"The one that I need, oh yes indeed!"_ Kuroo lip-synced as he leaned forward, making Tsukishima lean back and vice-versa. 

The dance break. Oh no. It was already coming on. 

No, he's got this. 

They improvised. Kuroo spun Tsukishima around, the lights becoming blurs. The snapping continued as they tapped heels together and continued back and forth with the fancy foot work. Two step, back step, all of the moves they could think of from the movie were there. Kuroo couldn't stop smiling at Tsukishima, who was... actually having fun.

Tsukishima felt his feet lifting off the ground as Kuroo fully committed to the dance. 

The iconic lift and spin.

Tsukishima's face turned red as the circled clapped and cheered. Kuroo was laughing. He could see Akaashi and Sawamura recording the whole dance. When he glanced back at Mika though...

Oh yeah. She definitely looked pissed.

As the song started to end, Kuroo went in for the last move and dipped Tsukishima over. The crowd cheered and clapped as the two stood in the circle breathing heavily. Tsukishima was hanging onto Kuroo's waist with his legs, looking at an upside down Mika, slightly blurry since his glassed were falling off, but it was her. 

He simply smirked at her, a cheeky expression drawn across his own face as he could feel her bitterness.

Kuroo brought Tsukishima back up. He smiled as he looked into Tsukishima eyes. 

"This was a really good night," Kuroo said as he got closer to his face, "Thank you. For such a memorable first dance with my soulmate."

Tsukishima's face turned red once more as Kuroo pressed his lips onto his for a kiss. Their breathing started to calm down, going back into the soft rhythm as they pulled away from each other. Kuroo finally put Tsukishima down and headed towards the others.

"Get a room!" Iwaizumi joked. 

"Who knew you could dance like that!" Sawamura clapped Tukishima's back, "No wonder why you're so good with obstacle courses."

The group laughed a little. Tsukishima looked back at Kuroo. His face froze for a moment, but then he shook his head. 

"Tsukki, come here for a moment," Kuroo gestured as he pulled him towards the bar. 

Kuroo stood in front of Mika, who's face was all scrunched up. Tsukishima pushed up his glasses, the smirk reappearing on his face. 

"Well, looks like you've got another toy, huh?" Mika hissed. 

"Actually," Tsukishima started as he rolled up his sleeve. He showed the black ring on his forearm, Kuroo then showing his fist alongside his arm, the black ring connecting on his fingers. Mika's eyes widened. 

"I've found him," Kuroo affirmed, "Despite everything, I've found him. You said at one point that I could end up with a tangled mark. I could have, but I didn't give up. He could have given up on me after he found out so much, but he didn't"

Kuroo pulled back his fringe to show Mika his burn mark. 

"I'm happy," he smiled, "So, I guess you can say that I've finally moved on. I can finally go forward without any of our experiences holding me back."

Kuroo gave a slight nod, "It was nice knowing you, Mika." 

Mika gave a look of disgust, "L-like I care!" she yelled as she stormed out, his face slightly flushed. She slammed into many people, but she quickly went out the exit. Kuroo looked back at Tsukishima, the smile still on his face.

"I really am happy," Kuroo beamed, "I know that I've been down because of what's happening, but... if I'm being honest, this was way better than indoor skydiving."

The corner of Tsukishima's lip quirked up, "Wow, I beat an expensive activity! Achievement acquired."

Kuroo laughed a little. Another song came up on the jukebox. 

"Ah, _"Killing me Softly"_ " Kuroo smiled as he looked over at the dance floor. It wasn't a slow dance, but it was still slow enough to make it a chill and relaxing dance. Bokuto and Akaashi had already started to feel the song as the approached the dance floor. 

"Can I have one more song?" Kuroo asked as he extended his hand to Tsukishima.

"What? And then you'll keep saying that for the next song?"

"And the next one," Kuroo laughed, "Let's throw our cares away for the night!"

As Kuroo tugged Tsukishima back onto the dance floor, the bright lights became red and yellow. Colorful outfits disappeared into the walls as Tsukishima looked at Kuroo. It seemed as if they were the only ones in here. As if the world was just giving them a moment of peace and mind.A few worries went out the window as the danced and danced. Tsukishima had never danced like this in years.

He smiled.

Tonight was their night. 

Tonight, they would dance until their minds went numb and the moon shined down on them. 

It was a beautiful night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suga and Oikawa's train of thought on the whole situation will come in a chapter or two. I wanted to add in a fun chapter since I can't just keep hitting you guys with depressing and serious things. Also, I need some Bokuaka up in here, so it may be the next chapters sometime 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	44. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suga and Oikawa think on their actions.

Iwaizumi hauled a half-drunk Daichi into his apartment. Daichi kept clinging onto Iwaizumi as he tried to help Daichi take off his shoes, "Noooo, I thought we were going to karaoke!" Daichi whined. 

"It's two in the morning, Dai," Iwaizumi murmured to him, "Aren't you even a little tired from all the dancing? We've been there since nine. That's six hours of dancing... I'm just glad you didn't drink that much."

Iwaizumi slipped off his own shoes as he tried to lead Daichi to a bed, "C'mon, you need sleep."

"No," Daichi huffed as he planted his feet onto the ground, "I'm good to go for more!"

"And I thought I was the one who needed some fun," Iwaizumi smiled softly, "Alright! If we're doing this the hard way, then I have no choice."

"Haji, nooo!"

Iwaizumi swept Daichi off of his feet, "Up we go!" he smiled as he carefully took Daichi to the bedroom and set him down on the bed. Iwaizumi barely managed to take off the coat and jean jacket Daichi was wearing. Daichi pouted, but was quick to nestle himself against the pillows. Iwaizumi grabbed one of the spare blankets and placed it over Daichi. The man fell fast asleep in a matter of seconds. 

"I don't need sleep, huh?" Iwaizumi murmured as he planted a soft kiss on the top of Daichi's forehead, "Sleep tight."

Iwaizumi left the room and gently closed the door behind him. He yawned and stretched his arms out, "Ah, I'm really gonna feel it tomorrow," he said to himself as he rolled his shoulders back. His sleep schedule turned into a mess ever since he resigned. Iwaizumi didn't even feel a wink of sleepiness coming on. 

Oikawa hadn't called him at all.

He took off his layers of clothes until he was left with his undershirt. He could take a quick shower to rise off all the sweat-

"Hm?" Iwaizumi asked aloud as he looked towards the door. There was a soft knocking outside. At this hour? He sighed heavily as he walked towards the door. Iwaizumi swung it open and looked up at the face.

"Oikawa?" he asked. 

His friend was standing in front of him. Oikawa's hair was disheveled. His eye bags were darker and he just looked....

Exhausted.

The corner of his eyes were red as well. Was he crying before? Iwaizumi's eyebrows knitted together, "Hey, is everything-"

"I just," Oikawa whispered out, "Really... need to talk to someone."

Oikawa's fists were balled up, but he clenched and released them several times. The blood from his hands would disappear and the reappear. Iwaizumi just opened the door widely and gestured to Oikawa. The man just nodded slightly and walked inside. 

Despite everything that has happened, Oikawa still came to him. He sighed in relief. Oikawa's lack of calls had worried him, but he was glad that Oikawa turned to him. Although they didn't have to say it with words, they both knew something. 

Iwaizumi would always be the one friend Oikawa could talk about anything to and vice versa.

* * *

Oikawa's leg bounced up and down as he sat in Iwaizumi's apartment. He rubbed his stinging eyes as Iwaizumi placed down a glass of water and sat across from him. Oikawa's fingers started to drum against the kitchen table. 

"Oikawa-"

"I'm sorry."

Iwaizumi was taken back by the sudden blurt of words. OIkawa bit his lip and clenching his hands again.

"I know. It was pretty bold and stupid of me to just suddenly go back on everything I said. And then I initiated the whole battle... and then a bunch of our agents got injured. Our missions are far behind... work is harder without you three. I messed up big time. I know."

Iwaizumi raised his eyebrow, his gesture for Oikawa to continue talking. 

"I know... but I couldn't stop myself. At first, I didn't see much of what Suga-chan was saying other than the fact that we could be in trouble. After a few days passed though, it just felt like a challenge rather than a call for help. You know how I hate being seen as someone defenseless! I couldn't just sit still at the fact that he thought I wouldn't be able to handle Inarizaki. I'm stronger than that... I-"

"Pause."

Iwaizumi held his hand up at Oikawa. Oikawa just stared at the hand.

"I"?" Iwaizumi tilted his head, a slight glare directed towards him, "What do you mean, "I"? You said at first that "we" were strong. Why did you turn it into, "I"?" 

"That's not what I meant-"

"Then what?" Iwaizumi pressed on, "What did you mean?"

"I meant that I couldn't-"

"What do you _really_ mean? Why are you blaming yourself for all that's happening? 

"Pride."

Oikawa hung his head low. As expected, Iwaizumi managed to push aside his defenses and open up the real wall of emotions he hid. Why did he even try to lie in front of him? He buried his head into his hands, "It's because of my pride," he mumbled. 

Iwaizumi gestured gently for him to continue, "Take your time. I've got all night." 

After a few silent moments, Oikawa looked back up at Iwaizumi.

"I've already given up half of it when we signed that contract with Shiratorizawa," Oikawa explained, "I knew what you guys thought of it, but I just ignored it and signed it anyway. I thought that we could have overthrown them after gaining their trust," he gave a broken laugh, "How that slapped us in the face."

Oikawa sighed, "We just ended up playing into their games. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have signed it. I should have asked everyone before confining our agency to them."

Iwaizumi crossed his arms, "So why did you act like that to Birds of Prey?"

"My own pride... wouldn't allow it. I thought that if I allowed us to work with our rivals, we would definitely lose the last of our credibility. I...would lose whatever dignity and pride I had left. Selfish, I know. And even if I did accept, you know very well that Shiratorizawa would be out for us. That's just everything gone...which is why I thought that I was strong enough to lead all of you against Inarizaki. Considering the fact that we couldn't even protect Kenma-chan though..."

Iwaizumi finished the sentence, "You thought that you couldn't lead us to victory against them."

Oikawa nodded. 

Suddenly he felt a hard tap on his head, "Ow!"

Iwaizumi was leaning over the table and hitting Oikawa on the head with one of his knuckles, "Dumbass. You really are a dumbass."

"Iwa-chan! That's not comforting!" Oikawa cried out.

"Let me talk," Iwaizumi retorted. He leaned away from Oikawa and looked him in the eyes, "It's okay to ask for help."

Oikawa felt his eyes stinging again.

"Not everything can be done on your own. There are some things that you really can't do on your own. Isn't that why you made Aoba Johsai a joint agency? So that we could support each other when we were fighting against Shiratorizawa? We're a team. Whatever goes down, we're all going hands in," Iwaizumi firmly nodded, "If we need help, it's okay. Birds of Prey is stronger than we all think. It really would be nice.... to take two birds with one stone- or another bird."

"Huh?"

"They want to take down Inarizaki.... but they've also been against Shiratorizawa for a long time. If we do team up... we could really end up free from Ushiwaka's jaws."

Oikawa's mind froze.

Of course.... 

That did make sense, but...

"I can't just ask them after what happened with Suga-chan," he mumbled. 

"Then why don't you go and apologize?"

"Iwa-chan, it's not that easy! He hates me... he really hates me."

"Does he?"

The two looked up at the sound of a groggy voice. Sawamura was standing there, his hair a mess as he rubbed his eyes. 

Iwaizumi shook his head, "You're supposed to be sleeping. You can’t get over that much alcohol in the span of half an hour.” 

"You know me, I get over a hangover scarily fast," Sawamura waved his hand around, "And does Suga really hate you?"

Oikawa furrowed his brows, "Yeah...? He did say that he was willing to beat me to a pulp."

"Suga takes out his worries and frustrations by anger. You did go back on your words, which he absolutely despises, but he's a good guy. He's a good guy who also cares a lot about his mark. If he really did hate you, he would have killed you on the spot," Sawamura hummed. 

"That's very comforting," Oikawa nervously laughed.

"Okay, let me word that differently," Sawamura backtracked, "Suga's very frustrated with himself with everything that happened. If you guys talked it out, you guys could be friends. You know... baby steps. Build what you two have broken... various times, but you can still fix it."

"I messed up so badly though... I can't-"

"Get yourself together!" the couple yelled in unison.

Iwaizumi shook his head, "You've always been too hard on yourself. At least this once... let yourself breathe."

Breathe.

Ah. His vision of reality was a little claustrophobic. If he could be selfish in a good way, maybe it would be alright. Maybe it would be okay for him to stop hiding behind walls and ignoring his feelings. The various bottles of untold emotions were sitting there for years. 

Now everything just spilled out of the bottles. 

A hiccup came out of Oikawa's mouth. A few tears dropped out, but Oikawa quickly wiped them away, "Ah... this is embarrassing."

Iwaizumi got up from his chair and pulled it up next to Oikawa, sitting down next to him, "I haven't done this in a really long time, but..."

He patted his shoulder, "Let it out you big crybaby. I'll give you my shoulder this one time."

Flow.

Oikawa let all of those pent up emotions out. Not having Iwaizumi as his soulmate. Getting his mark at the wrong time. Not accepting his soulmate. Being selfish and egotistical. Caring more about his pride than about anyone else. 

It all just came out as he leaned against Iwaizumi and cried out.

After a few minutes of crying, Oikawa rubbed his eyes, "Okay... I'm okay."

Iwaizumi looked at Sawamura, "Do you think Sugawara would be up at this time?"

Sawamura looked at Oikawa.

"I think you know where he would be."

* * *

Suga's breathing came out as wisps of cold air. He stared out at the glittering city, the freezing water under the bridge lapping against the pillars. He looked down at his red hands, staring at his mark over and over again. 

_"I will never have another opportunity to be with what fate wanted me to have! I'm not going to throw away that chance!"_

That's what Kuroo yelled out. That's how he felt about being with Tsukishima. He willing gave up the career he built, all because of love. 

If Suga was being honest with himself, everything was just done out of anger.

He was angry because he never imagined himself with someone like Oikawa. He was angry because he put his own teammates at risk. He was angry because his plan to end all the agency tensions went so wrong.

Everything just went wrong.

Anger could really mess everything up.

He had some reason to be angry, but the fact that Oikawa was right about something made him upset.

Suga could never do anything against him because he didn't want to give up so easily.

He had been wanting his soulmate for the longest time. At one point, he did give up on looking for the soulmate of his lost mark. When he saw Oikawa's mark though...

The tiniest glimmer of hope came out by itself.

It was as if the connection was moving on its own. It just jumped at the sight of the mark's other half. Even for that brief moment, there was the warmest feeling that coursed throughout his veins. 

Until Suga rejected the idea that day.

Everything just disappeared and turned red. A burning red. All of his pent up frustrations exploded at the A.A. The only reason Suga agreed to Daichi's meetings was because he didn't understand. 

He couldn't understand how their relationships started. He couldn't understand how they became somewhat stable. How they were able to be together despite being so different and as rivals. 

He _wanted_ to understand. 

"I'm the real piece of shit," he mumbled as he turned to face the road, facing his back towards the city. His hands already were slick from the icy railings underneath his palms, the cold biting at whatever warmth he had there.

Suga threw everything out the window. He already threw away the chance and that's why he was so angry at himself.

What rose within him was a deep feeling. Mixed with red and blue, it was purple. A dark and saddening purple. His blood felt so cold. His fingers trembled against the icy railings. A single cold tear left his left eye. 

"Ah!!" he yelled as he threw his head in the air, "I threw it away... I'm such a hopeless being-!”

The world suddenly tipped over.

Suga felt his hands slip against the icy railings. As Suga looked up at the sky, the glittering city came back into view, upside down but still so beautiful. He could feel the icy wind from below. 

_"This is it,"_ Suga thought to himself as he closed his eyes. Only icy water would meet him below. The fact that he wasn’t even trying to catch himself was pathetic in itself. Had he really fell that low? Was he really going to accept this-

A sharp tug brought him back to reality. Suga opened his eyes, the glittering city still hanging in the upside down world. He lifted his head, looking back at the bridge that was farther away from him.

Oikawa was desperately clutching his shirt. 

Suga was pulled back up onto ground. He gave a gasp of relief as he stared at Oikawa, "What are you doing-?"

"Thank god! I saw you slip and falling, but I made it in time. Phew-"

Suga shook his head, "Why are you here?" he said a little more firmly. 

"I'm here to fix things."

The warmth came back into his veins.

"I can't really just pretend like nothing happened, but I can reintroduce myself," Oikawa continued quietly, "I know you still might be mad, but you don't have to accept. It's okay if you reject me... I understand," Oikawa quietly ended, his voice breathy as if he had ran all the way here. He looked at Suga and gave a smile, "Let me introduce myself..."

"I'm Oikawa. Oikawa Tooru."

Oikawa's hand was extended towards him. Suga looked at it, staring at the mark on his hand. 

The night became so still. All he could hear was the water below them. There was no honking or crickets... just water rushing. It was cold....

Yet everything in him was warm.

Was he hopeless? Yes. Was Oikawa somewhat of a jerk? Yeah, but he's trying to apologize. Was Suga willing to try again? A part of him said no. He was trying to start off as friends though.... he wasn't rushing into the idea. It was like he was letting Suga sink all of it in before actually deciding what to do. 

Did that glimmer of hope come out again?

Suga took Oikawa's hand, "Sugawara Koushi," he replied with a slight smile. 

Yes.

That glimmer came back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some light melodrama to follow up the fluff chapter. I wanted to make Bokuaka next, but there wasn't much to work with, so here's OiSuga.


	45. Click

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, two couples are out and about  
> but...  
> Is someone else there?

Kenma's eyes narrowed at the morning light that shined through the window. The light that reflected off of the snow just seemed as bright as the sun. Kenma wrapped his hands around the hot cup of coffee he had. Shouyou was chewing away at some pork buns- which it seemed a little early for that, but he looked happy while doing so. Shouyou looked up at him.

"I know it's not the most over the top place, but I thought you'd like it," Shouyou smiled after swallowing his food, "I'd doubt you'd want to be somewhere crowded, especially after all that has happened- ah! I'm not trying to say that you seem like you don't like to socialize- wait that doesn't sound right!"

Shouyou flailed around as he tried to explain what he was saying. Kenma shook his head a little, "It's fine. I do like being alone, but I'm okay with going out once in a while. Crowds are a little claustrophobic though, so I'm glad you picked somewhere a little more conserved."

Shouyou sighed in relief, "Oh thank goodness. I didn't want to offend you," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. 

Kenma tapped his fingers against the cup of coffee. It was a small and calmer town. They were sitting at a small corner store, the table being right by the window. Kenma glanced outside for a moment, seeing very few people walk by. It was a quiet morning. 

"So, how'd you join the agent field?" Shouyou curiously asked. 

Kenma turned his head to look at Shouyou, "I kind of just fell into it. Kuroo was the one who made me try it... being an agent out on the field I mean. I wasn't really suited for it. Until I was introduced to the technology department," Kenma reminisced, "That's where I could really thrive. It's not as much action as the field agents have... but it gets fun once in a while."

"I bet being a hacker is cool!" Shouyou expressed as he pumped his fists up and down. "You can break in and do a bunch of cool coding. It is the sole reason on how agents can get in somewhere in the first place. That's cool!"

Kenma gave a soft smile, "I guess it is."

He sighed a little. There was still a question hanging in the air.

Kenma swirled the coffee in the cup, "Hey-"

"You're wondering about this, aren't ya?"

Shouyou pointed at the sun marking in his palm. Kenma slowly nodded, "I wanted to know how you felt about it..."

The orange haired agent rubbed his chin, "I had a good feeling about it when I found my mark. I know that we're from different agencies, but everyone else is giving their shots. And I know that we're definitely very different from each other, but that's what could be good about it, right? I mean- there must be a reason why our marking is a sun of all things."

"Because you're bright as one."

Kenma moved his hands away from the cup of coffee. He slapped his hand over his mouth. He didn't mean to say that out loud...

Shouyou laughed lightly, "You could be one too though!"

He tilted his head a little, "Me? I've never heard of that... I could be the moon, but the sun?"

"Why not?" Shouyou asked, "The sun isn't only bright or seen as something powerful. The sun is warm. It's welcoming. It's just comforting to know that the sun will come up and always return the next day. You don't really have to worry about it disappearing.... it's reliable."

Shouyou sheepishly looked back at Kenma, "What I'm trying to say is that I feel like you could be there for me. I feel like you could be someone I can lean on when times are tough. You get it?"

Kenma nodded, "So... you think we could try it? Soulmates, I mean?"

Shouyou smiled brightly, "Of course!" he happily replied as extended his arms out.

Unfortunately, his hand knocked over the cup of coffee all over Kenma. Shouyou's eyes widened as he froze. Kenma closed his eyes, "Ow," he whispered out as he felt some stinging from the hot coffee. 

"Gah! Kenma, I'm so sorry!" Shouyou panicked as he looked around for some tissues. He handed him a box of tissues. Shouyou eyes looked from left to right at the brown stain on his shirt. 

Kenma wiped off as much as he could, "I guess it wasn't a good day to wear white...."

"Don't worry, we can do something about it," Shouyou quickly reassured, "Uhm..."

"Hey, it's okay," Kenma replied, "I can go home and change."

"I know, but you probably live far away from here. I don't want to waste time on my own mistake.... ah!"

Shouyou's face lit up. He got up and grabbed his jacket. He gestured towards the door, "C'mon, I know what to do!"

Kenma just got up and followed Shouyou. After throwing away their trash, the walked a few blocks down into a small area for shopping. A few scattered food stores were around, but Shouyou soon turned into a clothing store. 

_"Treasures"_ was the name of the store. It appeared to be a small thrift store. Kenma walked behind Shouyou as he moved his way through the small place. He pointed at the rack of shirts, "I can buy you one. I know it's not the best place to shop, but they do have quality clothing. It's the least I can do, especially since coffee stains aren't easy to get out."

"But-"

"No buts!" Shouyou quickly shut him down, "Let me do something nice. Think of it like... a pre-date phase or gift. Yeah, that has a nice ring to it," he smiled in content. 

Kenma looked at the rack of clothes. He hesitated, but he didn't want to make Shouyou upset more than he already was from the coffee accident. Kenma swiped through the hangers of shirts. Surprisingly, they were all at pretty good prices. Too good to be true prices. Kenma saw many plain shirts, but there were some interesting designs and colors that caught his eye. One of them was a flannel. Half of the side was white and the other was red. Perfect size too. 

"You can try it on," Shouyou spoke up. He was near the hats, but he pointed towards a small changing room. Kenma smiled slightly as a few hats fell over and landed all over Shouyou. He went to the changing room and tried on the shirt. Kenma soon stepped out to get another opinion on the shirt.

Shouyou's eyes sparkled at him, "You look great!" he clapped happily, "Hold on, let's try something out."

After fixing the hats, he grabbed a black bucket hat and went over to Kenma. Shouyou placed it on Kenma's head and smiled proudly, "You look great...."

It was softer this time. They were awfully close together... Shouyou was staring at Kenma, searching within his eyes. Kenma could feel his ears getting red, "How about we buy these things?" he intervened before his face turned red. 

Shouyou snapped back into reality, "Ah- yeah."

The two soon walked out, Kenma wearing the new shirt underneath his jacket. He had the bucket hat in the bag as the walked around. Shouyou looked out at the park that was on the other side of the street.

"Uhm... this is like a pre-date phase, right?" Shouyou tapped his fingers together, "Would you like to walk around the park a little?"

Shouyou was getting flustered. Kenma smiled softly at him.

"I'd love to," he answered, "It'll be nice to know each other a little more before we go on the first date."

"Wait, so you'd like to try?" Shouyou brightened up. 

"If it was clear enough before... yeah. We don't have anything to lose," he shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Ah! That's great," Shouyou sighed in relief, "I don't know how I would take rejection in the first place."

The two walked to the park, occasionally grabbing each other to avoid the close disaster of slipping on ice. At one point, Shouyou threw a snowball at him. Kenma crossed his arms and gave a slight glare. Shouyou just stuck out his tongue at him. Kenma eventually started to slowly build up a snowball to throw back, a brief moment of fear in Shouyou's eyes at seeing the size of it. Kenma just shook his head as he finally got closer and threw it at him.

Shouyou landed in the snow with a soft thud. Kenma looked down at him... he was fine, right?

Shouyou turned on his back and wiped away the snow on his face. He opened his eyes and looked up at Kenma with a smile.

He was fine. Kenma gently smiled back. They laughed a little bit.

 _Click._

Kenma suddenly stopped and lifted his head up quickly. He looked around. He could have sworn he heard the sound of a camera shutter. No one was in sight. Kenma furrowed his eyebrows. 

"Eh? Is something wrong Kenma?" Shouyou asked as he got back up. 

Kenma looked around again, "I heard something...."

_Click._

The two snapped their head around at the sound. No one was there. 

But someone _was_ there. They must've hidden or left quickly.

"We should go back," Kenma murmured. 

"Yeah... I don't think we should stay here... video games at my place?"

Kenma gave a soft sigh, but another smile crept up on his face.

"Alright... but we've got to make sure no one is following."

The two walked around, confusing whoever was following them by going through alley ways and random streets. After a few moments of silence, Kenma spoke up again.

"I call first pick on characters," he smirked.

"Aw, that's no fair!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Akaashi also felt an odd presence. He tried to ignore it, but there was something rather unsettling about the atmosphere around them.

"Bokuto," he whispered, "Don't you feel that?"

"The cold?" he said as he looked at Akaashi's hand, which he was holding, "You really need some gloves..."

"No, but thanks for worrying," Akaashi smiled gently. Bokuto placed both of their hands in his coat pocket. The two just wanted to enjoy a simple date to the early movie showings, but it looks like they may have to rain-check that. Even though they were walking in area with a decent amount of people...

Why did he feel like they were being watched?

They passed by an alleyway. 

_Click._

Akaashi tugged Bokuto back, "There. Did you hear that?"

Bokuto narrowed his eyes, "A camera shutter," he murmured as he looked back at the alley behind them. Akaashi let his fingers slip out of Bokuto's hold. He walked back, peering into the dim alleyway. There seemed to be nothing there....

Akaashi's eyes narrowed as he saw a can randomly roll out between the trashcans. Akaashi stepped into the dim place, getting closer and closer to the can. He turned his head to look at the space between the trashcans. Akaashi's shoulder was pushed away as someone jumped up from the crack, shoving him to the side. 

"Hey!" he called out as he chased after them. The man disguised himself in all black. A camera was swinging back and forth by a strap on his neck. The man suddenly took a sharp turn. Akaashi pivoted to keep up his momentum. He kept running at the man as he saw him turn into the another alleyway. 

He heard a thud.

Akaashi finally caught up and huffed as he stopped in front of the man. Bokuto was holding him down, momentarily throwing up a small peace sign as he was on top of the struggling body, "Always one step ahead."

Akaashi just nodded as he squatted down, "Now, let's what do you have here."

He pulled off the camera strap from the man's neck. Akaashi turned the camera around to look at the screen.

Sure enough, there were pictures of him and Bokuto in frame. He flipped through the gallery. Them walking, them leaving the apartment... someone was definitely watching them. He continued looking through the gallery.

"Huh?"

His eyes widened. Sugawara and Oikawa? They were at a bridge... it seemed like they were talking. There were a few for shots of them. As he kept going through, there was more from the later days. The night at the club... some shots of Sawamura and Iwaizumi... shots of them leaving Birds of Prey after their talks...

Shirabu ... and Ushijima?

It was only one frame. Ushijima was pushing Shirabu on the wheelchair. They were leaving a private hospital. Shirabu had some sort of braces on his legs.... were they trying to find a way for him to walk again?

"Bokuto," he mumbled quietly.

Akaashi looked over at him. Bokuto yanked up the man as he tipped off his cap. It wasn't a main member, but even without recognizing the person, it was easy to know who the they worked for. 

In kanji, there was lettering by his temple. _"Sly"_

"They're watching all of us," Akaashi spat as he pulled out his phone. Akaashi typed a single sentence into the private group chat for Birds of Prey. 

_"Inarizaki is progressing with their plans."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	46. Forces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nekodorani and Birds of Prey give it another shot at the whole "work together" gig.

Kuroo sat up at the sound of the video call ringtone. He got up and made his way to the spare room in which he was using. Kuroo sat at the small desk that was there, propping the phone up on few books that he got. Boba was sleeping in the background, but they wouldn't mind. It was a group call from the chat. Kuroo answered the call as he saw a few faces show up.

"Huh?" Kuroo hummed, "Is it just us for now?"

He stared at the other three people that were there. Iwaizumi, Bokuto...

And Oikawa.

"Just for now Tetsu-chan," Oikawa murmured as he stared at something off screen. The reflection off of Oikawa's glasses showed typing and long paragraphs. Kuroo tapped his fingers on the desk. 

He's known these guys for years, but after all that had happened....

It was a little awkward.

Kuroo didn't regret confessing about his whole situation at the A.A. He didn't regret resigning- temporarily- in order to let everyone know how he felt. However... Oikawa seemed so...

Worn out.

It must've been hard those few days Nekodorani was open. Yaku and Lev worked well together, but they weren't snipers. Many of Shiratorizawa's requests couldn't be done by Kai alone either. Kenma was always in control tower, so they couldn't ask him to leave. Kunimi, Kindaichi, Makki and Mattsun were always out on group missions, so the solos were definitely out of workers. Body guard jobs took many of their other agents time up too. Not to mention... many of their clients specifically for the three of them....

No wonder why Oikawa looked so exhausted. He should have taken in consideration the impact of the agency.... of course it would've caused trouble.

"Hey Oikawa," Kuroo spoke up, "I owe you an apology."

Bokuto and Iwaizumi looked up at the camera, "Yeah... that's what's been bothering us a little too..." they murmured, going along the same lines of what Kuroo was thinking.

Oikawa looked at the screens, "Okay...?"

"I know that you probably lost a little trust in us," Kuroo continued as he rubbed the back of his head, "Especially since we've hid the whole soulmate situation for a really long time. I'm sorry that we didn't tell you sooner... I don't know what the others were thinking, but I know that I didn't tell you because I was worried about what you would do. You were so serious about the mission-which made sense, since you are the captain- but that's exactly why I didn't tell you... I knew you probably would have done something yourself."

"Same here," Bokuto added in, "We've known about our soulmates for a while...but we also knew that the policies were applied very strictly during those months. It would have eventually led to the death of our soulmates."

"In my case, you were very competitive against Birds of Prey those years back," Iwaizumi pointed out, "You had a very strong hatred for them... especially for their captain... so, I know you wouldn't have sat still at the thought of your second in lead being with the rivals captain. I also know...about some more personal things between us, but... you know what I'm talking about."

"I know," Oikawa nodded, "I've gotten past that though. It's okay." 

"Either way," Kuroo started up again, "I'm sorry for just walking out like that without thinking about how it would impact you. It must've been hard on your own.... please don't overwork yourself because of us."

The three gave a little head bow, "We apologize."

"Well damn, if you feel that bad then come back to work at the end of the week."

They looked up at the the screen. Oikawa had a smirk plastered onto his face, "Damn right it was hard- although, I was the one who didn't try to contact you. I have some wrong in me too, but I'm still human. Thanks for the apologies, but leave the mush for later. We've got something bigger to deal with," Oikawa firmly stated, "I'm transferring us to a bigger chat. There will be a few agents more agents from ours there. And some others..."

Soon more people started to appear. Kenma, Yaku, Lev, Kai, Makki, Mattsun, and a few others from their agency. He also saw Sawamura, Suga, Kageyama, Hinata, Tsukishima, and a few other agents from Birds of Prey. Akaashi popped up from Bokuto's screen, but that didn't look like an apartment.

"Wait, Bo, where _are_ you?" he asked as he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Oh... that's what were going to talk about," Oikawa chimed in, "Anyway... welcome to the first ever meeting that no one ever thought would happen!"

Silence. 

"I know, I know. It's weird... especially since we pulverized them last week," Oikawa continued.

"Other way around," Tanaka coughed.

"Aha...let's just call it a draw," Oikawa waved away, "There are just some concerning things that are happening to us... and they all tie us in on it. Bokuto, if you would please," he nodded as he gestured to the camera. 

"Right!" Bokuto exclaimed as he set down his phone. He stepped back and showed where he was. An interrogation room. It wasn't theirs... so it must've been Bird of Prey's agency. Akaashi leaned against a table out of frame, holding a dry erase marker. There was a white board on a wall, and a few names were scrawled on it in pairs. 

"Eh?" Makki murmured, "Why are we up there, Mattsun?" 

Makki and Mattsun were one of the soulmate couples in Nekodorani. They were a tag team of combat fighters, one of their best. Sword and shield. Defense and offense. Other pairings were up there. Oikawa and Suga, Akaashi and Bokuto, Iwaizumi and Daichi, Kenma and Hinata, Yaku and Lev....

Of course, he and Tsukishima were up there too.

Wait. Kenma and Hinata? He hadn't told him about it... then again, Hinata was the one who helped Kenma out at the A.A. It made some sense. Kuroo shook his head. He was getting sidetracked. Kuroo turned his focus onto Bokuto.

"Recently, we've found someone who's been taking photos of us. If you have noticed, these are all soulmate pairs. While some of them are within our agency, Nekodorani, most of the are between Nekodorani _and_ Birds of Prey. We've found these through a camera we snagged from a henchman."

Bokuto held up the camera, "The guy had more storage cards on him from previous days. He must've been doing this for at least a week or so."

Akaashi went up to the camera and showed his phone. He scrolled throw photos of the soulmate pairs. Some of them were of one leaving the house, going on a walk or just going out. Akaashi spoke up, "They've been tracking down common locations, but they're just following many of us in general. Specifically.... they're focused on the targets who Nekodorani once had."

Ah. Here we go again.

"Here's the thing. Since we've caught one of their henchmen, they may backtrack on the idea," Akaashi added on, "Not to mention... Kenma. You said you've spotted another one too."

"Yeah... earlier the morning. They definitely know we saw them," Kenma nodded.

"They've probably caught on that we know," Bokuto picked up from where Akaashi left off, "So they'll definitely be more cautious."

Makki spoke up again, "Quick question. By "they", are we talking Inarizaki or Shiratorizawa?"

"Inarizaki."

Everyone gave a heavy sigh.

"Those pricks are so desperate.... that's just cynical, bringing in the soulmate connection," Yaku mumbled. 

"Then again it's smart," Tsukishima spoke up as he leaned back in his chair, "Imagine this. The enemies are using your significant other in order to lure or to provoke you. Since the soulmate connection is there, you'll definitely feel any pain that is inflicted onto them. You wouldn't sit still. They know this."

Kuroo smiled a little. Analytical as always.

"That's what Inarizaki is going for. They may be thinking the same way for Shirabu and Ushijima. There was only one picture of them, but it could be their plan to make Ushijima go mad."

"Where is this going?" Mattsun piped up.

Oikawa cleared his throat, "We have to take Inarizaki down once and for all. Together."

Many agents started to widen their eyes. 

"Now, before you guys start a riot," Oikawa reassured, "Let me explain something. Inarizaki is most likely going to get Shiratorizawa roped in so that they could take all three of us down. Birds of Prey has Shiratorizawa as one of their main enemies to arrest. I know how you guys feel about Shiratorizawa now..."

"Oh?" Lev chimed in, "Are we going to...?"

"Yes. I've finally realized how harmful their contract is towards all of you and myself. It's time to break away."

Kuroo smiled at the sight of faces lighting up. About time. Everyone was getting sick of Shiratorizawa and Oikawa must have finally gotten fed up with Ushiwaka as well.

"That's why we've agreed to this," Sawamura affirmed, "We're going to work together to take Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa down. Two birds with one stone."

Bokuto came back into frame, "The plan is still in the works, but it's somewhat solid," he said as he glanced towards the whiteboard, "We managed to capture the henchman who was taking the photos- he was taken to the jailhouse by Johzenji a while ago. During his time with us, he didn't say much... until we mentioned Kita."

"Kita... you mean?" Kuroo cautiously asked.

Akaashi nodded, "Kita Shinsuke. The head of the Inarizaki Yakuza. Atsumu is simply his right hand man.... he's the real one we have to go after."

"Kita has never been seen by any of us. We do know one thing though," Suga spoke up as he looked over at a screen, "As any Yakuza would, they are faithful to their leader and would do anything to protect them. If we get close to Kita, Inarizaki would definitely jump into action. Inarizaki has other weak points too. Oikawa," Suga nodded as he looked back at the screen.

"Right," Oikawa nodded back, "You all may know of the Itachiyama incident. Sakusa Kiyoomi. Komori Motoya. Inarizaki is with Itachiyama. We don't know why, but if it has to do anything with the inner circle, we believe we could target them to get to the twins."

An audible gasp out from Kageyama, "Sakusa.... that must've been who was with the other person... it must’ve been Atsumu and Sakusa... I knew I recognized that voice." 

Kageyama's hands were trembling. Suga's eyes furrowed, "Wait. Kageyama... you told us that Atsumu wasn't the first Inarizaki member you encountered. Was it Osamu? Suna?"

"N-no... the person told me they were from Inarizaki though... they had white hair with black tips-"

"No. That can't be," the captains murmured.

"Kageyama.... Kita came for you personally... it was good for you to fight back, but he _came_ for you," Suga whispered quietly with wide eyes. 

Heavy silence. Akaashi started to scribble down things onto the whiteboard, "Kageyama was targeted several times. Now that we know that Kageyama had an encounter with Kita.... what if they're actually trying to distract us with all this in order to get Kageyama?"

"It's possible. If they know about Kageyama's position, then it would be easier to provoke him," Sawamura said as he rubbed his chin. All the agents from Birds of Prey seemed to know something that the other didn't. 

"Then again, their main goal is Shiratorizawa. They may be trying to get Kageyama on their side so that they could have a "spy", but they still want to access more on Shiratorizawa. That explains why they picked Kozume of all people," Suga explained, "Kozume is the one who knows the most information due to his position. These two are their targets, but we also have Tsukishima and Akaashi. Shiratorizawa wants them dead, so if Inarizaki beat them to the punch, Ushijima would definitely wage war. If they managed to get Kageyama on board to fight with them, we all know very well that his power plus all of Inarizaki.... would tear Shiratorizawa apart."

Kageyama was a prodigy. The power of Sakusa, Kageyama and Atusmu themselves are already more than enough to take down half of Shiratorizawa's inner circle. No wonder why they tried to recruit Kageyama. It would make their job easier.

"What are we going to do now...?" Hinata quietly asked.

"Tobio-chan," Oikawa spoke up, "if they really want you that badly, why don't you give it a try?"

"Huh?!" Kageyama snapped, "Why would I do that?"

"Spy."

Kageyama's eyes widened. 

"Even if it's only for a few days, join the Yakuza. Or at least stay until we finalize our strike. We can find a way for you to contact us. Kita would have caution... but considering that he came for you personally, he has some trust in you already. Kita would never approach someone personally unless he knew what he was dealing with," Oikawa explained, "If you go in, that's already a step closer to finishing them off."

Kageyama's eye shook a little, but there was understanding within them, "How would I even get in though? I rejected them many times. What makes you think that they would let me in?"

Akaashi spoke up again, "Kageyama," he called. Akaashi then tapped at his own neck, "You know how."

Kageyama's hand flew to his neck. He though on it for a while, but then he nodded.

"I'll do it."

Kuroo was busy writing all of it down. He could feel a headache coming on. Was it his own or Tsukishima's? They both knew that it was reckless and dangerous, but it was a great advantage to have someone on the inside. As long as they managed to keep Kageyama safe, it would go well. Oikawa was already in Shiratorizawa's circle too, so they had insight on actions against them. 

Joining forces already allowed them progress.

As Oikawa and Sawamura expressed a few more things before ending the call, Kuroo kept thinking about the whole plan.

Target Kita, get into Inarizaki's inner circle, protect themselves.... all while trying not to get caught by either syndicates.

Tsukishima came into the room after the call ended. He gave a heavy sigh as he pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes, "What do you think?"

"I don't know... it's like a double edged sword. It could be a very powerful and sturdy plan, but it could also hurt all of us in the end."

"We'll just have to see how it plays out," Tsukishima murmured, "We should probably limit how much we go out, but not to the extent in which Inarizaki realizes we're onto them. They do know we've seen them, but they don't know what we're planning against them. They don't know about their henchman being caught by us, so they may assume that he was reported by someone else. We just have to be careful."

"Agreed."

A comfortable silence fell over them, but Kuroo couldn't help but to keep thinking...

If everything goes wrong...

They all end up dead at the feet of the foxes and eagles.

No.

Kuroo couldn't afford that. He was already happy were he was at. It took a long time to get here... he couldn't just let everything they've worked so hard for slip through his fingers because of those syndicates. No one would. There would be no hands of mafias or Yakuza members upon the two agencies. He can't. He can't allow that. 

So you know goddamn well that he'll do anything to protect his own happiness and everyone else's. 

Mark his words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon.


	47. Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama is sent in....  
> and he has never been more disturbed in his life.

After a few days of preparation, Kageyama walked around the alleyways of Northern Tokyo. He wore his agent gear, huffing out cold air as he looked up at a ladder at the side of a building. He climbed the cold steps, swinging himself over the ledge and standing back up on the ground. Kageyama looked up at the twilight sky, the moon peeking through the few scarce clouds that lingered from snowfall earlier in the week. 

Southern Tokyo was where the twins roamed. It was also the territory in which the old Itachiyama agency was.

Northern Tokyo. There was a piece of territory that Inarizaki took from Shiratorizawa. Last time they went on patrol, no one was to be found. The twins and Sakusa may be at the fallen agency, but that's not who he was looking for.

A chill ran up his spine. 

"Kageyama...."

That voice. It was the same voice that he heard before he was accused of assault. The calm voice sent shivers down his entire body. He felt something freezing against his head. A bat? A gun? A sword? No. The Yakuza didn't use swords. He couldn't make out what it was... but he was quick. How the hell did he get on the rooftop so quietly? 

"Last chance," Kita murmured, "We're waiting for you."

"I didn't expect you to find me so quickly," Kageyama replied calmly.

"You stick out like a sore thumb. An agent adorned with the Birds of Prey crest and out of his territory. Why else would you come here alone?"

Kageyama gave a soft sigh, "Give me a reason why I should join you."

"Oho? You didn't ask for a reason last time. You swung right at me, and later on at Atsumu," Kita smirked, turning Kageyama around to look at him. Kageyama stared at the leader of the Yakuza, the white and black strands of hair swaying slightly behind the mask. His hands were covered with leather gloves and he wore the Kitsune mask. It had golden markings and fangs on the side of the sly smile. The leader. The alpha. 

The boss of one of the biggest syndicates around.

"You know very well you're the odd one out," Kita said at he tilted his head, "Kageyama Tobio. The rookie who got charged for assault and who stabbed his own teammate. Kageyama Tobio. The agent who wears long sleeves to hide his mark."

Kageyama's eyes widened. How did he know?

"Kageyama Tobio," Kita murmured as he got closer, "The rookie agent who could finish his own agency if he wanted to. Who wouldn't be wary around you? What crime group wouldn't want someone like you on board?"

His eyes narrowed at Kita, "You need something more than that."

Kageyama couldn't accept so easily. He had to put up a fight and play hard to get. That way, it would seem a little more convincing. 

"Come with me," Kita stood straight, "And I'll show you."

He hesitated for a little, looking at the ground and then back up at Kita. The moon shined down on that mask, the golden lining on the fangs gleaming. Kageyama swallowed thickly, "Alright."

Kita gave a pleased nod, "Very well," he nodded. Kita the looked somewhere else, "Boys."

Kageyama didn't even notice the syringe on his side of his neck until he glanced behind him. His eyelids started to become heavy weights. Someone caught him before he could hit the floor. Kageyama saw as the building became a blur, fox masks looking down at him. He started to blink unevenly as the shadows of bodies started to jump across from roof to roof.

The world became dark and Kageyama went under. 

* * *

The strong smell of iron shook him awake.

Kageyama snapped his eyes open. The cool floor beneath him was speckled with a few dots of sweat. Kageyama shook his head slightly as he pushed himself off of the floor. It was a well lit room, the white lights blinding to Kageyama for the short time he was out. Now that he looked around....

Everything was white.

The walls, the wooden floor that was painted white, the ceiling.... everything. White. It was like an insane asylum.... the blinding white straining his eyes. He was the only one in the room. The only thing on the wall was a thick window. 

Kita stood in behind it, staring at Kageyama curiously. He had no mask this time, and those hazel eyes stared back at him. The gaze was piercing through him. He pressed some button, activating some speakers that were somewhere in the room.

"Pardon the lock up," Kita sighed, "We have something in our hands right now."

A scream broke through the microphone. Kageyama's eyes widened as he saw some man slam himself against the window, bloody hand prints appearing on the clean glass. The man's frantic eyes locked on with Kageyama's.

"Please," the muffled voice said through the glass, "Please.... save me! You don't have their eyes.... you seem like a good person... please! I have a family! Please! Save me! Save me! Save me!" he screamed as he banged on the glass. Kita rolled his eyes. He reach down and pulled out a gun. 

He didn't hesitate to shoot the man right through the head.

The man's eyes became still as he slid down the glass, the hand prints becoming smudges and smears of blood. Kageyama stood still, but he could feel his fingers shaking. The man had a family.... but he didn't hesitate to kill him. Birds of Prey did kill, but they mostly worked for the good guys. They went for the cruel and horrendous people in the world who needed to be put into place. Those cold eyes... had no regret. It was as if he had killed so many normal civilians on the daily. 

So this was how the Yakuza played.

"Agh, I just cleaned this," Kita muttered as he pulled out a cloth and tried to wipe away the blood, "I'll fix it later. Let him out guys."

A door in the corner opened. Kageyama took strides to the door, stepping out of the white room.

The smell of iron became stronger. 

"Apologies. He got a loan from us but never repaid after a year or two, I can't remember. Supposedly it was for his sick daughter, but she's brain-dead. He had no excuse to delay the payment," Kita explained as he wiped off any ash from his gun.

Monsters.

"You said you wanted another reason," Kita continued as he walked over to a seat. The room was completely different from the white one. It was brown wooden floors, sprinkled dots of blood staining it. There was a table and a few decent chairs further down the room. Boards and maps were laid out on the walls. Where the mic was there was a few notebooks and pens laying around. Kageyama looked back at Kita as he sat down, his mask resting on the table.

Kita tapped his neck, "Don't you feel bitter?"

Kageyama barely realized how cold it was. As he looked down at himself, he saw that he was stripped completely of his old clothes. He was just wearing a shot sleeved black t-shirt with black pants. 

He felt exposed. The only thing left on him was the ring that he wore on his left hand.

"Engaged?" Kita asked as he pointed at Kageyama's ring. It almost sounded sarcastic. 

"No... it's my grandfather's. It didn't fit my other fingers except for my ring finger," he murmured as he twisted it around.

"I have a keepsake from my grandmother," Kita sighed as he lifted his hand. A silver ring sat on his middle finger. There was an emerald jewel that sat in the middle, silver metal surrounding it. It was almost like an eye. Kita looked down at the ring, "She wanted me to use it to propose to my soulmate."

Kita gave a stifled laugh, "He's dead."

He pulled down his shirt, revealing a faded and broken mark. It was almost in the shape of a cloud, but there was a red slash right through it. 

"I killed him," KIta nonchalantly replied, "He happened to ask something from us, but he tried to trick us once the job was done. He threatened my members.... what was I supposed to do? Let him go? No. He deserved to die. I barely knew him until that day. The mark left as soon as it came. It did hurt like hell, but I don't feel any pain other than my own now."

Kita looked up at Kageyama, "So, don't you feel bitter? The fact that you're own soulmate rejected you right away.... despite not knowing what kind of person you truly are. Wow."

The man picked up a pile of pictures that sat on the desk. Kita threw them at Kageyama, the pictures falling down in front of him. Kageyama stared down at the pictures, recognzing his own teammates. 

It was the same photos that were shown a few days ago. He picked up the ones that were the closest. Everyone had a soft smile or a laugh hanging on their lips. Even Tsukishima had the tiniest smile on his face. Kageyama slightly crumpled the photos.

There was the slightest bit of bitterness within him... and he wasn't acting that out.

"I know they know about us taking photos," Kita affirmed as he nodded towards him, "They're probably worrying about their soulmates aren't they? That's one of their priorities, isn't it?"

Kageyama's head nodded unconsciously.

"You must be sick of being left out. Team? Family? No! You're being left out deliberately."

That's a lie....

So why did he feel like he was making sense?

"C'mon Kageyama," Kita insisted as he got up, "Join us. We could become so much more. We can take down everyone and ruled all of Japan. You're mark won'tbecome a sign of pity... but a sign of power. Wouldn't you like that?"

 _"Don't let him get to you. Don't take this seriously,"_ he told himself. 

"Not to mention...."

Kageyama's eyes widened as a knife suddenly appeared in front of him. He was slashed across the bridge of his nose, but Kageyama didn't flinch. He just blinked in confusion as KIta looked up at him with a huge grin.

"A freak like you will fit in perfectly with this life style," he smiled as he reached up to Kageyama's face, wiping off some blood with his fingers, "Only a monster can't feel any pain."

So this was how the Yakuza played.

They would raise the person up just to bring them back down. They practically brainwashed the person to think that they were some alien to bring out insecurities. The insecurities would manifest into defense. The defense would turn to anger, and eventually, they would fall right into the hands of the Yakuza. 

This was his job. Kageyama knew that his team members wouldn't ditch him so easily. Hinata didn't fight for him to stay when he wanted to leave. Sugawara didn't teach him so much only for it to be thrown away. Akaashi didn't sacrifice himself that one time he froze at the scene of action.

They would never leave him behind... right?

Kageyama exhaled deeply. He then looked back at Kita and gave a small smirk.

"When do I start?"

Kita nodded, "Good choice. Not right away.... you still need some adjustments. For now, we'll do some things for your mask and ask some more questions. Atsumu can take you."

The door opened. Kageyama looked over, Atsumu appearing with the mask over him. Kageyama could practically hear the smirk.

"Once you come with me, you're life will never be the same," he sighed, "To think that a little goody two shoes like you is turning against your whole career. It must've hurt so much to be rejected at once."

"I know what I'm getting into," Kageyama firmly replied.

"Alright.... but if you leave... we'll come for you. We'll find you. You'll see this beautiful fox mask wherever you go. And you'll be scared for the rest of your life. Understand?"

He nodded again. Atsumu gave a small laugh as he reached behind his head, untying his mask. The mask fell into Atsumu's hands. The man slowly looked up....

Terror ran through Kageyama's veins.

No....

Kageyama's hand reached to his blue tangled mark. He stared at the tangled lines on Atsumu's face, the lines swirling around his eyes and one side of his lip. The man had a smile as he looked back at Kageyama.

The blue lines on Atsumu's face glowed slightly as a bit of light touch it. 

Kageyama could feel his breathing starting to lose control. The blood on his face started to run down his lips, the iron taste seeping through his lips and onto his tongue. No... impossible. He knew his soulmate was from the Yakuza... but no.... it couldn't be him. It couldn't! 

That's how Kita knew of his tangled mark. It was because the person closest to him had worn the same mark on his face...

Miya Atsumu, the soulmate who rejected him, had the cockiest smirk plastered on. 

"Let's have some fun together, Tobio-kun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soon.


	48. Metallic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks pass. The others are gathering up some information and allies.  
> Kageyama is introduced to the rogue Itachiyama members.

Suga watched as Kozume slowly took off his headphones. The man shivered as he heard one last scream crackle through the headphones. It was like this for the past fourteen days. Kageyama would talk once in a while, but the sounds were mostly screams, shots, and the laughter of those foxes.

"I'm still amazed on how you managed to get that wiring into a ring," Suga acknowledged as Kozume looked towards him.

"Ushijima had asked for one before. I just took the prototype and build around that," Kozume nodded as he reached for his can of coffee, "It's very complex for others, but I've worked with things harder than that. Since Kageyama got in, we have their main base location."

Suga looked up at the screen. There was a map of Northern Tokyo, a small red dot pinging where Kageyama was. It was an old building, but the real deal was what was underneath. Inarizaki's main base was underground. The passage ways used to go all the way to the Ushijima residence, but Shiratorizawa must've blocked the path to that in order to protect themselves. 

The underground network was never expected to be so huge nonetheless. 

"Suga-chan!" Oikawa called, "Come here for a second!"

He got up from the chair and walked out of the technology room. Some of their agents had gone to Nekodorani, while others stayed here at Birds of Prey to manage the sound and to get a look at any Itachiayama and Inarizaki information. Oikawa sat in the couch outside of the technology room, lifting his glasses away from his face as he looked at Suga. He held up some records that he brought over from Nekodorani. 

"I was revisiting the whole Inarizaki and Shiratorizawa beef," Oikawa spoke as Suga sat next to him, "And look. A few days after the fire, Kita and Ushijima were seen together... outside of the hospital Shirabu was in. Here's the thing though..."

Oikawa pulled out some photos from the folder he had in his hand. He handed them to Suga. 

Suga took a look. Sure enough, Ushijima was standing in front of Kita, his fists curled up and his stance being on full alert. Suga squinted his eyes as he took a closer look at Kita.

"Why is he in the hospital gown?" Suga asked.

Oikawa snapped his fingers, "Look closer at his arms."

Suga squinted again. He only saw one arm crossed over his waist, the other arm sleeve had nothing coming out of it. It was just hanging there....

With nothing in it.

"No way," Suga mumbled as he looked back at Oikawa.

"Yes Suga-chan," Oikawa sighed as he tapped the photo, "That man is missing an arm."

"How?!"

"It must have been way before the whole territory stealing or even just before the Yakuza even came into the light," Oikawa hummed as he slid his glasses back down, "I can't help but to have the feeling that he has resentment towards Shiratorizawa because of his arm though."

"He seems to be in optimal health though," Suga added, "And why would he even be admitted into the same hospital as Shirabu?"

"Private hospitals will accept anyone for the right price," Oikawa replied, "We can't tell if he got a prosthetic or if he's living his best life with one arm. Whatever it is, he's not stopping anytime soon."

The two sighed heavily as they fell back into the couch. 

Suga tilted his head to look at Oikawa. His eye-bags have gotten better, but it was still dark under there. He still managed to keep his hair neatly combed despite all the chaos that has been going on. Oikawa turned his head slightly too look at Suga, and his eyes widened slightly as he made eye contact with him.

"Liking the view?" Oikawa gave a small laugh, his glassing sitting askew on his face. Oikawa had been giving more flirtatious remarks lately, so Suga wasn't sure if he should fix his glasses. The again, he could already feel his eye twitching from the frame not sitting perfectly on his face.

Suga reached up to straighten the glasses, accidentally grazing Oikawa's cheek as he put his hand back down. Suga was about to apologize, but Oikawa just smiled again.

"Hey, I thought we were taking it slow. We're already friends- I hope- but you have to wait before you can make a move on me," he smirked.

Yep. He knew that would be coming.

"Oh my god, you're so full of yourself!" Suga shook his head, "It was an accident. I'm sorry for touching you're oh-so glowing porcelain cheek, your highness," he mocked as he gave a playful head bow.

"Damn right you should be! That's a ten step skin care routine," Oikawa joked as he stuck out his tongue.

The joking about themselves continued until they got tired of it. In the end, the two agreed that they would both lose to Akaashi's natural beauty, but they still had their own ways of looking sharp and charming.

"In all seriousness though," Oikawa started as he got up, "Let's get all of this over with. Once these syndicates are out of the way, maybe I'll invite you to a nice dinner."

"That would be nice," Suga sighed as he stood next to him, "Dinner with a friend. It's been a while."

"Hopefully I'll be something more someday," Oikawa murmured softly as he walked down the hall, "I'll see you later!" he waved as he turned down into the offices.

Suga had caught those words. 

Apologies, acquaintances, teammates, friends.... what came next? Did baby steps really go that quickly? After the first few steps, walking gets so addicting that you just continue to stroll and walk around as much as you could. Running comes up next. 

Were they already striding towards something deeper? So quickly? He did want to be with his soulmate....

"Slow down, Sugawara," he mumbled as he rubbed his cold hands together, "Small steps. Small steps."

He'll just have to see what happens once this is all over.

Suga glanced towards the door as Kozume came out with his phone pressed to his ear. Kozume looked up at him as he took the phone away from his ear and covered the speaker. He just gave a small nod to Suga. Something must've been successful at Center Tokyo. They already had Johzenji Police Department with them... so if they could get a little help from these guys...

They may just pull off taking down the big two.

Suga gestured at Kenma to say something. Kenma nodded again as he opened his mouth.

"Shouyou found Iron Wall."

* * *

"Yeah. Mhm. Okay! See you later Kenma!"

Akaashi twiddled his thumbs as he sat uncomfortably across from Iron Wall's main two. Bokuto sat next to him, giving an awkward cough as Hinata finally got off of his phone. Hinata soon returned to a slightly serious face as he stared at Aone Takanobu, raising his head up a little.

"You know how much we hate Shiratorizawa, right?"

A nod.

"You hate them too."

Another nod.

"They actually hate them as well," Hinata pointed out as he gestured towards Bokuto, which was the representation of Nekodorani in this meeting.

Pause. Tilting his head slightly to the left, Aone eventually gave a look of understanding.

"So... are you willing to help us take them down?" Hinata carefully asked.

"What's in it for us?" Futakuchi Kenji, the leader of Iron wall, asked. He leaned over the table, giving a menacing look to Akaashi and Bokuto. 

"You guys are like the neighborhood Robin Hood, right? Some what vigilantes?" Akaashi suggested as he pulled out an envelope, "How's about we give you some money in order to compensate that soup kitchen those thugs destroyed?" 

Iron Wall were neutral. They picked their allies based on what they did for them. Even though Iron Wall had a tough exterior, they really were softies. They would do almost anything in order to contribute to help the needy and those who suffered.

"Or if that's not enough, how about some funds to get some proper equipment for the very clinic we're sitting in?" Bokuto added in as he slid another envelope across the table. The two looked over at Hinata.

"And if that still won't float your boat, here's some funds for that animal shelter that burned down last week," Hinata happily added in as he placed one more envelope on the table, "The animals need a place to stay other than here...."

At that moment a cat jumped onto the table. Aone was quick to scoop it up in his arms and place it back down on the ground. The cat gave an annoyed meow, but then ran out of the room. There was a few barks as well. Apparently, the took in as many animals as they could and kept some here, temporarily closing the clinic. Most of them were at their main base though.

Futakuchi grabbed one of the envelopes skeptically as he opened it. The moment he peeked in, his eyes widened and he gave a small gasp.

"This is...?" he asked as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Yep!" Hinata and Bokuto chimed in at the same time. 

"So... Shiratorizawa, huh?" Futakuchi suddenly said calmly as he placed the envelope down. 

"Inarizaki too," Akaashi nodded, "They're on the move. Inarizaki is planning to take down every agency and syndicate until they take up all of Japan. Iron Wall would be included."

Aone shook his head gravely. 

"Inarizaki.... ah. There are some regrets we have with them. He's a monster because of us," Futakuchi shook his head as he swallowed thickly, "One of our members mistook their leader for some bum. He gave him one of our best prosthetic arms around. Dammit. We didn't even recognize him until the end. He had a great disguise on everytime he came to tweak it."

Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows, "Kita... lost an arm?"

Futakuchi nodded slightly, "Didn't you hear how their hatred for Shiratorizawa started?"

The three shook their heads. 

Aone sighed heavily and then cleared his throat. 

"Ushijima Wakatoshi was the one who took away Kita's arm."

* * *

The hard sound of a fist colliding against a wall echoed through out the white room.

Kageyama breathed heavily as he crouched on the floor. In all his glory, Kita stood above him, his arms completely exposed by a tank top. The metal in his right arm shined under the bright lights. Kageyama was barely informed of Kita's metallic prosthetic today. He wanted to let Kageyama know that this training session would be unfair because of the arm. Kageyama hadn't noticed the arm since Kita was always covered up with gloves and blazers. It wasn't until this day that Kita threw off his jacket and gloves... to fight Kageyama.

Kageyama had been crawling his way up to getting on board the Shiratorizawa take down. He had defeated everyone.... except for Kita and Atsumu.

Atsumu stood in the corner, tapping the floor impatiently, "Tobio-kun, I don't have all day!"

Kageyama gave a small growl. Whenever Atsumu spoke, there was a weird feeling rising within his mark. 

Hatred.

Kageyama quickly got back up, focusing his attention at Kita once more. Kita swung at him once more, but Kageyama ducked and swept him off of his legs with a low spin. As Kita fell, Kageyama grabbed his metal arm, going right under Kita and hoisting him up on his back. Kageyama stood up quickly and spun once more, using the momentum to throw Kita over to where Atsumu stood. Kita collided into Atsumu, sending him down with a heavy thud.

Kita slowly stood back up. He spat on the floor, then looking back up and glaring at Kageyama. 

He just blinked. In that second, Kita was in front of him once more. Kageyama grabbed the cold metal fist that came at him. He grunted as Kita applied more and more force against his palm, forcing Kageyama onto the floor. 

The metallic taste of blood seeped into his mouth as Kita landed one good punch.

Kita huffed, "Good job," he muttered as he got up and away from Kageyama, "You only got one blow from me. Atsumu got the beating of his life when he went against me."

Atsumu coughed violently as he sat up, "Your arm hit my chest! Metal, why did it have to be metal? Also... no I didn't!"

"Whatever puts you to sleep," Kita shrugged, "At least you don't have to go against Sakusa, Kageyama."

"Why?" Kageyama heaved as he got up. He spat a little bit of blood onto the floor, earning him a small eye twitch from Kita.

"Sakusa hates fighting head on. Komori doesn't, but he's not an expert at it either. Also.... I know he would awaken a completely different side of you."

Kageyama furrowed his eyebrows. Kita just shook his head and waved off the statement as he headed for the door, "We're going to face Shiratorizawa soon. You're on board with it."

The leader left the scene quickly, grabbing his jacket and gloves on the way out. Atsumu got up from the floor, standing to look out the window. A smile appeared on his face as someone showed up.

"Omi-kun!" he waved as he went out the door.

Kageyama stared out the window, walking towards the glass. There was a man in all black from head to toe, greeting Atsumu with a smile that seemed disgusted but somewhat happy. The other man next to him just looked on at Kageyama, tilting his head at the sight of an agent in their base.

Atsumu looked back at Kageyama and gestured for him to come out. Hesitating, Kageyama left the white room, making his way to stand in front of the three men.

"Tobio-kun, don't you recognize him?" Atsumu asked as he wrapped his arm around the man's waist, "Take off your cap, Omi-kun."

The man sighed as he took off his cap. The first thing Kageyama noticed were the two dots above his brow...

Oh.

"Sakusa," he mumbled, "So you must be Komori," he said as he pointed at the man next to him.

"That's me," Komori smiled as he took off his cap and gloves, "Sakusa was avoiding you... since we used to be in the same field. Awkward, I know."

"How could someone like you be able to help us take Ushijima down?" Sakusa mumbled as he stared at Kageyama, "You look like a rookie. I thought you could only excrete your full potential with your partner. Don't tell me that you've managed to stop Ushijima before.... how? When? What-?"

Atsumu squeezed Sakusa's side slightly, "Stop. That's enough. He's just another sword out of all these people."

So... they were planning to dispose of him right after the Shiratorizawa and agency battle? 

How cruel. They just played whatever they needed and then got rid of their pieces right away.

"I thought you would be more... intense," Kageyama mentioned as he looked at Sakusa, "You look... so normal."

Sakusa's eye twitched, "Huh? Normal?"

"You can't be considered top ten anymore. Without that title, you're just another rag-tag sniper."

Heavy silence. 

"What the hell? Are you trying to climb up to get to Kita's side already?" Sakusa quietly muttered as he narrowed his eyes, "Watch out rookie. There's always something hidden beneath the most normal looking things."

"Hahaha! Sorry for the trouble," Komori intervened as he squeezed himself between them, "Sakusa, Atsumu.... you two should get going. We barely have any days off. Kageyama, why don't I take you to the infirmary? There's a lot of blood coming out of your mouth..."

Kageyama wiped his lips with his hand. There was red all over his fingers, and that metallic taste still hung on his tongue. 

He followed Komori reluctantly towards the infirmary. Atsumu and Sakusa walked the other way, Atsumu's arm still around Sakusa's waist. Kageyama squeezed his eyes shut at the sight. 

That's why Atsumu rejected Kageyama right away. His partner and lover, Sakusa, was right there with him when Atsumu's mark appeared. Perhaps Atsumu didn't want Sakusa to leave him because of his mark. Maybe he just wanted to be with Atsumu no matter what. 

Either way, Atsumu made Kageyama the way he is because of Sakusa.

"They're an odd pair, huh?" Komori murmured as he opened the door to the infirmary, "Kita told us about you and Atsumu."

"So you know."

"Yeah."

Komori sat Kageyama down as he grabbed a first aid kit. He opened it and grabbed some gauze, telling Kageyama to bite on it to try to stop the bleeding in his mouth. Komori stared at Kageyama for a moment.

"I know how you feel," he murmured.

"Hm?"

"You have a mark, but it's just binding you to this horrible feeling. It's like a bunch of chains or even one big prision. I know. I helped someone close to me get with someone they weren't supposed to be with. There are so many regrets....everything about them is going downwards."

"You want to talk about it?" Kageyama asked carefully.

"That would be nice."

And so, Komori got ready to tell Kageyama a sad story. A tragedy? A melodrama? No. It was just a sad story. A story of regrets and mistakes. The story of going down the wrong path. The story of seeing the person he cared for deteriorate into a withered flower. 

The story of how he helped Sakusa get with Atsumu....

Even though he had a mark that told him he was never meant to fall in love. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> History is coming soon.  
> Kita's arm story will come right after Komori's story. Not leaving you hanging on that, but the reveals of Kita and Komori wouldn't make sense elsewhere with what I'm leading with. Please understand.
> 
> Thank you for 4k hits!


	49. For Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of how Sakusa's best friend did everything in order to make him happy.

_YEARS AGO..._

It was a beautiful spring day. There were cherry blossoms falling over the entrance of the academy. The sweet smell of flowers wafted in the air, and the breeze was so pleasant that he thought he would fall asleep right then and there. Komori had on the brightest smile as he held his diploma, certifying him to become an agent. He turned around to look at his friend...

Sakusa Kiyoomi.

They had traveled together since high school to get here. It ran in their bloodline to become special agents and now they were here. They had been together for so many years, and now they were about to continue another long run of excitement and adventures at Itachiyama. It was pretty far away from the academy, so they probably had to leave sooner or later. No problem! The taxis always ran around the clock. He really couldn't wait to get there. There was only one thing bothering him...

His mark. 

"Yo! You want to go to the convenience store before heading out to Itachiyama?" Komori asked as he looked at Sakusa. 

"I want to get to Itachiyama before the afternoon rush comes in," Sakusa mumbled, "We can go eat later... it's probably crowded since it's lunch time."

Komori just nodded in agreement. Sakusa was already making his way to hail a cab at the gateways of the academy. Komori gave a soft smile as he looked at Sakusa's backside. To think that they had the same mark....

The Unrequited Mark.

It was even rarer than the tangled mark. What did it mean?

Fate concluded that they couldn't have love. 

There are many people in the world who fall in love everyday. The thing about this mark though... it specifically tells a person not to fall in love. It's just like any other mark, the only difference was that there was a broken heart layered on top of the original mark. A warning. It was a warning to the person.... if you fall in love.... something terrible will happen in your life. Instead of feeling a soulmate's pain.... the pain the person feels themselves is heightened by twice the amount.

Komori was upset... but he was glad that he wasn't the only one with it. He remembered seeing Sakusa with the same mark in the locker room. It was a mark that several of their relatives had, with the exception of their parents and a few others. Komori’s parents had asked him to look over his cousin since his parents had died during one of their missions. Despite the sad story of him, he was still glad to know someone around his age had to go through what he felt.

The thing is... does Sakusa know? Or is he just ignoring it? 

That's why Komori didn't want to tell him about his mark. He was his closest friend... if he brought up something that Sakusa was trying to avoid, he could lose him. 

"C'mon!" he told himself as he patted his cheeks, "No time for sad thoughts. Today's the start of a new life!'

Komori ran to catch up to Sakusa, who was waiting for him to get into the cab. Komori smiled at Sakusa as the two went inside the cab.

Next stop: Itachiyama Agency.

\---------

Two hours later, they finally made it to Southern Tokyo. As they stepped out of the cab, Komori gaped at the size of the agency. So this was how the big agencies lived.... the building was pretty tall... eight? Maybe even more stories than that. Most agencies had three or four, but Itachiyama did give other services other than the secret agent work. It made sense, but this was still so much to take in.

"Ah. We should probably check in," Komori realized as he pulled out some papers, "We aren't starting right away, but we still have to go through IDs, records, and all the basics. Let's go!"

Sakusa just nodded and followed Komori as they headed inside. As the doors opened, the crisp air conditioning hit their faces. There was a desk with a friendly secretary, who politely asked them if they were the recommended agents that were supposed to come in. The two nodded as the showed their old academy IDs and diplomas as identification. The secretary smiled as she pointed them to the right direction. 

"This is it," Komori softly murmured as they went into the elevator, "Once we get our uniforms and IDs, we really are going to be apart of Itachiyama."

"We've worked hard for this," Sakusa murmured in return, "Let's keep working hard."

Komori nodded as the went up to the fifth floor. He took in a deep breath as the doors opened.

"Woah," the two quietly whispered as the looked ahead.

There were people bustling around, going in and out of the offices. Some agents carried guns and other weapons as they shoved the door to the back stairs and ran down. There was shouting and orders being barked left and right.

"Oh? Newbies!"

What seemed to be a unit leader came up to them, "Sorry for the chaos, there a group that's causing us a lot of trouble right now. You two must be here for your gear. Please wait in my office, I'll get things started."

Eventually, they got their uniforms and their badges to get in through the back, other offices, and access to the weaponry room. The unit leader soon asked a few questions, looked at some records, and just nodded as they signed the contract that came with being in Itachiyama. The two were dismissed for the day, being told that they would officially start the next day. 

And they did.

\-----------

Sakusa and Komori were plunged straight into the missions. _'Give them a gun and get them to work_ ', was basically what the agents thought once they looked at their academy records. Sakusa and Komori had the best record out of any student, so it was natural for them to be recommended and swung right into the business of a top agency, soon making their way up.

Weeks turned into months, and everyday, they two would be together in an alleyway or at the top of a building, looking through a scope and shooting some drug dealer or corrupted CEO. 

One day, Komori mustered up the courage to try to tell Sakusa about their shared mark.

As spring ended, the two sat at the edge of the Itachiyama building. Komori softly hummed as he looked up at the twinkling sky. Sakusa was drumming his fingers against his leg as he stared at a stain on his pants. They had just finished off a pair of targets. Another drug dealer couple... which turned out to be a soulmate couple that sold drugs to the nearby Yakuza.

"Soulmates are a funny thing," Sakusa muttered, "They cause the most pain, but they also bring happiness. It's amazing the things people do to be with their soulmate. I bet that drug couple gave up a lot to be together."

Komori titled his head, "What about you? What do you think about love?” 

Sakusa stopped drumming his fingers.

"Sakusa....?"

"Listen.... Komori," Sakusa gently started, "I know what they want. I know about your aunt wanting to keep me from repeating the fate of my parents, but...”

Oh.

"I've known. It's hard not to know," he sighed a little, rubbing his eyes slightly, "but... I want to fall in love. I want to fall for someone and I want to feel what all other people feel. It's not wrong for me to fall in love... right? I know you have it too.... and you probably don't want to go down this path.... but I can't ignore it."

As Sakusa continued to explain how he felt, Komori started to space out. 

Oh.

He wants to fall in love. Despite the warnings.... he wants to fall in love. What would their family say? They'd put the blame on Komori for not protecting him... they were going to shame him for allowing him to put himself in danger...he couldn't let Sakusa get hurt because of his mark. But....

Sakusa just wanted to be happy.

"Komori?"

He snapped away from his thoughts and looked back at Sakusa, "Hm?"

"Are we okay?" Sakusa carefully asked, "We're still okay...right? You’re not going to tell anyone?”

Komori gave a strained smile, "Of course."

Sakusa just nodded slightly as he looked back up at the sky. Komori stared down at the ground below him, swinging his legs slightly as the silence went on. Komori could have told him that he wasn't okay. He could have told Sakusa that he didn't want him to fall in love. He could have told him that their marks were warning them about the future they would go down. He could have told them that their lives could be in peril because of love....

He didn't.

Komori couldn't lose his friend and family just because of his own selfish thoughts. If Sakusa was going to ignore his warning mark... then so be it.

Just as long as he could keep Sakusa safe and sound, he would be fine. Everything would be fine.

As the night dragged on, the twinkling stars started to look dull. He quietly got up and left Sakusa alone, wishing him a good night and reassuring him that everything would be okay. 

It had to be.

\--------

_"Yakuza!"_

The following week, the Yakuza directly attacked their agency. Everyone scrambled around as elevators were shut down and door were locked. Sakusa had grabbed his sniper gun and ran towards the window. Sakusa opened the window, carefully aiming for someone.

Komori looked out on the window next to him, watching for anyone else who could be shooting for Sakusa. 

There was one person who stood on top of the building opposite to the agency. The kitsune mask glowed with the sunset. Sakusa squinted as he took a shot. The man across didn't flinch from the trajectory, but his head turned to the side. The bullet missed him, but it must have grazed the tying of his mask.

As the fox mask fell down, the right hand of the Inarizaki Yakuza stared back at Sakusa with a smile.

Sakusa blinked in confusion. Komori narrowed his eyes as he looked at Sakusa's eyes.

A spark was ignited.

The Yakuza was one of their targets for the longest time. They would end up dealing with their side men, but this was the few times that someone from the inner circle appeared in front of them. Komori and Sakusa have encountered one half of the twins once in a while, but they never knew which one it was.

Now, he stood in front of them.

The right hand, Miya Atsumu, was smiling at Sakusa, who couldn't seem to shoot again. Atsumu simply pointed at Sakusa as he left the scene, not lowering his gaze as he left the top of the roof. Sakusa furrowed his eyebrows as he lowered his gun. Komori listened into his communicator as he heard the action die down. The Yakuza hadn't touched anything... it was a failure for them.

Sakusa looked like he was shook to the core. 

The spark was ignited.

It would soon spiral down into the most ferocious fire anyone had ever seen.

* * *

_"Haven't you heard?"_

Komori rushed Sakusa past all of the offices until they arrived at his. There were so many stares and snickers as Sakusa looked down. Komori clicked his tongue as he pushed Sakusa into his office, closing the door and locking it. Sakusa sighed as he sat down on a chair, ruffling his hair out of frustration. 

"What were you thinking?" Komori whispered, "How?"

"It just felt so different.... and exciting," Sakusa quietly replied, "I didn't know it would go this far, Komori. I didn't expect this to happen."

"Atsumu. Miya Atsumu. What did you see in him?" Komori continued to ask.

"He's so different from anyone I've met," Sakusa mumbled, "I don't know if I gave in because it felt... so thrilling to chase after him or if it was because he kept coming directly to me in any situation. I don't know.... it just happened so quickly. Atsumu just made me feel something so different. So unique."

Sakusa looked up, a small gleam in his eyes, "I think I like him."

Komori's heart dropped.

"Please don't tell me.... you're going to hate me too?" Sakusa quietly asked. 

_Of course._

_You're in love with a murderer. Your mark warned you about this yet you still did it. Don't you care that your family is watching your doom because of your selfish desires?_

That's what Komori wanted to say. 

He couldn't help but noticed the small spark in his eyes those few seconds he mentioned Atsumu. Not to mention, whenever Sakusa came back from solo missions against the Yakuza, he had the slightest smile on his face. Months had passed since Inarizaki attacked the agency. How long had Atsumu been looking for Sakusa? Why? 

Why him?

"How long?" Komori asked.

"Two months."

"When?"

"My solo mission in the attempt to infiltrate the Yakuza's main base."

"Is he good to you?"

"He hasn't tried to harm me as many times I've tried because of the missions. He really turns into a completely different person around me."

"Would you be happy to be with him?"

"...Yes."

Komori gave a gentle smile, "Then I'll support you."

As long as Sakusa was happy. 

As long as he was happy.

Komori could smile as long as Sakusa was happy.

* * *

A month later, Sakusa was sobbing in his room.

"It's okay," Komori murmured as he gently pressed a cloth against Sakusa's forehead, "It's not your fault. They just don't understand."

Sakusa coughed violently, a few speckled red dots landing on Komori's sleeve. Some agents had followed Sakusa's all the way to his house and decided to jump him right after he came from work. Komori wasn't at the scene, but he quickly left the office once he over heard some other agents talking about that cruel plan. Komori had barely managed to chase away all the agents by the time he got there. 

It had been happening lately. All sorts of smaller agents were drawing away from Itachiyama because of Sakusa. There was a rumor that they saw Atsumu and Sakusa threatening some academy student. Apparently, it was Atsumu's soulmate, who Atsumu quickly denied. That earned him the tangled mark. The agents just decided to take out their anger on Sakusa after finding out about the rumor.The fuel was added to the fire as the found out about Sakusa's unrequited mark. Komori frowned as he took out a band-aid. 

He had bruises all over his body. There were red scratch marks all over him, and there was a cut right on his forehead. Komori gently placed a band-aid on Sakusa's forehead, looking back at his sobbing friend. 

"I can't fucking take this anymore," Sakusa angrily spat out. A pitiful hiccup came out, "I can't! I'm sick of being looked at, of being talked about, of being... the center of attention. How am I any different? Someone in our agency is dating a drug dealer... why isn't he looked down on?"

"They're mad because they don't know Atsumu like you do," Komori gently reminded, "We're supposed to be against them, remember?"

"I don't care!" Sakusa sharply replied, "I feel like they're trying to kill apart of me. How would they feel if I tried to kill them?! I wish... I wish I could just end all of their judgmental lives!"

Komori's heart shattered at the sight of Sakusa being so upset. For a moment, everything turned red. They hurt him... just because he loved someone. Was it really that wrong to fall in love? Who in their right mind would do that? Why didn't they attack the other corrupt agents around? 

Everything turned red.

"Why don't you?"

Sakusa gave a small sniffle as he looked up at Komori, "What?"

"We're better off without that agency. We can build ourselves up with a new life. We don't need more team members. You and me.... we're good just with two. Who needs them? If they can't understand how you feel, them make them. Let yourself live happily and erase them from the world!"

Komori looked down at Sakusa. 

His eyes were strangely dark.

"You're right.... maybe I should live happily for once."

* * *

Three days later, Komori walked around the quiet offices of Itachiyama. People were wringing on the floor, their arms twitching and their mouths gaping to catch air. Komori kicked away a hand that reached towards him. 

"Atsumu," he murmured as he looked down at them, "Please end them.... slowly."

Next to him, Miya Atsumu nodded with a grin on his face, "With pleasure!"

Komori continued peeking into the offices, marking the ones where everyone was dead. A few were marked for Atsumu to finish off. There was one particular room where Komori lingered on.

"Ah. You bastards who attacked Sakusa!" he exclaimed with wide eyes, "Don't worry, I'll let you off quickly."

Komori whipped out his gun and just continued to shoot. One, two, three, four, five...

He continuously missed the vital parts on purpose. More and more rounds went on as empty bullet shells fell to the ground. Blood pour out onto the ground, but Komori kept going until their bodies were full of led.

They were certainly dead.

"Rest in pieces," Komori murmured as he closed the door and marked it off.

"I've finished the ones you marked off," Atsumu happily skipped as he made his way to Komori, "Some of them already died of the poison before I got there." 

Sakusa appeared as he came up the stairs. They had turned off all the elevators and knocked down the doors that covered the stairs. Sakusa sighed as he rubbed his gloved hands together, "Not enough," he softly murmured.

"Let's rage then," Atsumu suggested, "There's still those small agencies that insulted you... wouldn't you like to take them down?" 

Sakusa's eyes gleamed. 

That was how the bloodiest night came to be. Sakusa and Atsumu went insane as the killed and killed one after another. Komori had never seen Sakusa smile as widely as he did when he killed those who hurt him.

As long as he was happy... Komori would do anything for him.

"Join us!" Atsumu exclaimed as they finished the last agent, "The Yakuza would be happy to have you two on board. I... would be very happy."

Atsumu softly smiled at Sakusa. The man gave a slight smile in return and mouthed a small "thank you". 

As long as he was happy...

"Lead the way," Komori answered as he gestured to Atsumu.

There really was nothing left for him to lose except for Sakusa. Just as long as he could keep Sakusa happy, everything would be okay. Murderer? Alright. Yakuza? No problem. 

As long as Sakusa was happy.... Komori didn't mind.

* * *

Two years had passed since they joined the Yakuza. 

The Yakuza have lost and gained many things. After Sakusa and Komori were integrated into the Yakuza, the Inarizaki Yakuza made a huge move on Shiratorizawa, the mafia gang in Northern Tokyo. Sakusa was sent as an extra sniper. In the end, Shiratorizawa was driven out and Inarizaki won.

But at what cost?

Their leader, Kita, had lost his right arm in the dragged battle. He was devastated, but they soon found someone who could provide a powerful prosthetic for their leader. It's been two years, but Kita adapted quickly to his fake arm.

Atsumu and Sakusa were still together. 

Komori would see the two walking around the districts or jumping from rooftop to rooftop. On occasions, he would see the two together in the office, just enjoying each others company.

There was something... strange though. 

The past month or so, Sakusa had been distant with Atsumu. He would be with him, but there were times when Komori would catch Sakusa staring out into space or even at him. Even while he had a smile when he was with Atsumu, the corner of his lips would quickly drop once he turned away from him. A strained smile would show up when Sakusa saw Komori, but he would always assume it was because Sakusa was exhausted.

What happened?

Komori headed to Atsumu's office to ask of it. Normally, he wouldn't meddle with people's relationships, but it was unsettling to see Sakusa space out so much. Sakusa was someone focused and level-headed. He rarely lost himself in thoughts.

As he was about to knock on the door, there was a crash in the room.

"You don't understand! I love him. I love him, Kita!"

Atsumu was yelling... at Kita?

Komori squatted as he listened in on the conversation.

"I told you not to get attached.... they were only accepted because we needed them for the take down plan. When I said bring him in, I didn't expect you to actually fall for him!"

No.

"But I did. So what? You know very well that with their addition, we're unstoppable. Even if we don't get that rookie agent, we'll be just fine! You're not going to do anything to him. Mark my words... you know what will come if anything happens to him."

Komori walked away from the door and just continued forward. He ended up going all the way back down to the dorms, quietly going into his room and closing the door. Komori blankly stared at the door as he sat on his bed.

Oh.

Atsumu seduced Sakusa because of an order. Is that why Sakusa was upset? No. It had to be why he was upset. 

Speaking of the man, Sakusa came into his dorm. Without a word, he sat next to Komori, his brow creased deeply. Komori tilted his head as he looked at Sakusa. 

"What's up?" he asked.

"Komori... I think I fucked up."

"What?"

"I-.... I'm starting to mixed everything up. I'm just getting so confused," he mumbled as he buried his head into his hands, "There's something resonating with me... like a prick that keeps getting stronger and painful.... but's it's only around a certain person, and it's not Atsumu." 

Sakusa looked up at him, "Why is it that whenever I look at you... I feel a sudden wave of guilt? Of anguish? Of.... despair?" he randomly asked.

"What are you talking about?" Komori shook his head, trying to avoid where this was going. 

"I don't know... my feelings for Atsumu are still there, but for some reason... I feel like there's something within me that is telling me not to do anything else. It's crying out to me... it's telling me that something terrible will happen to me if I continue down this path!" 

"Sakusa..."

"I fucked up. I'm so sorry that I pushed you away. I should have listened to you.... I shouldn't have ignored all those warnings and ringings in my head. You were right. You were right...."

Sakusa's eyes didn't gleam, but they became softer as he looked at Komori. Vulnerable. His eyes started to water.

"Don't..." Komori murmured, trying to stop him. But he allowed it to happen anyways. Sakusa rested his head on Komori's shoulder. Komori watched as Sakusa's back started to hitch up and down

It broke him to pieces to see Sakusa cry. Komori patted Sakusa's back as he let it all out. Komori could feel his shirt getting damp from all the tears that flowed. Was Komori like one huge warning? Why did he have to bring despair into Sakusa's life? Every time Sakusa looked at him.... he felt pain and guilt. It was as if the mark made him into something so toxic and disgusting.....

This was wrong.

He couldn't be the reason for Sakusa's happiness to die down.

Komori squeezed his eyes shut, "Kiyoomi."

Sakusa finally stopped. The man sighed softly his head still rested on Komori's shoulder, "I'm sorry," he said quietly, not lifting his head back up. Komori gently rested his hand on Sakusa's back, trying to comfort him in some way.

Suddenly, Sakusa's back started to hitch up once more. Komori looked down at him, "What's wrong? Why... why are you crying again?"

The man looked up at him, a few more tears threatening to spill over the edge, "If I love him... then why hasn't it changed?"

"What hasn't changed?"

Sakusa pushed himself slightly away from Komori, "This," he gestured as he pulled down one side of his shirt.

Komori stared at the unique mark he had. The little green pentagon was resting on his shoulder, a broken heart layered upon it. Komori's was on the side of his left shoulder, same pentagon just a different color. It was rather strange to have the same shape, but their parents always told them that it was just a family thing. There didn't seem to be something wrong....

Wait.

That's why he was upset.

"The little heart is still broken," Sakusa sobbed, "Shouldn't it be repaired or something? Can't fate decide that I really do deserve love? Shouldn't I have a mark similar to Atsumu's? Why... why is it still broken?!"

Komori stayed silent.

"I don't know anymore... I love him, so much... but I can't just this damned warning looming over me. If my pain comes whenever I look at you... doesn't that mean that something will happen to you... because of me?"

He took in a deep breath, "Look at me," he quietly spoke as gently shook his shoulders. Sakusa looked at him with sad eyes.

"You're with Atsumu. You've been so happy with him... you can't just drop all of that because of me. We've done so much for you to be with him. You've sacrificed so much... so much, just to be with him. Don't you think that means something?"

Sakusa gave a small nod. Komori bit his lip, "So please. Don't make this harder than it has to be...."

The man sat up straight as he looked into Komori's eyes. He did his best to hold everything down, but it was on the edge of exploding. Komori let go of Sakusa, using his hands to wipe away his tears. Komori swallowed choked sobs that wanted to come up, "You have no idea... how happy I would be for you to listen to that warning. I would only wish for our safety.... but you love him. You fell in love. That's not something that can be taken back so easily..."

"I know about the whole reason why he brought me in," Sakusa added in quietly.

"I know... but I just heard him fighting against Kita to keep you here and alive. You can't risk his decision because of me. I just want you to be happy and safe.... that's enough for me." 

Sakusa shook his head, "I'm just so confused.... I thought I knew what I wanted...."

"Hang in there.... this will be all over sooner or later," he murmured. 

In the end, Sakusa just nodded at the idea of being with Atsumu. Of course, he still had feelings for Atsumu. It wouldn't be hard for Sakusa to eventually forget this had all happened. He still had someone to return to.

Komori on the other hand....

As soon as Sakusa left, Komori broke down, "Shit!" he yelled as he felt the tears spilling down. The ruffled his hair and pulled on it out of frustration. Why? Why? Why did he have to bring all of this up now? Komori was okay with the whole revolt against the mark.... why did he have to be the reason for Sakusa's pain?!

It didn't matter though. He couldn't let them go down because of Komori. He would just bury everything as he had been doing for the past three years. 

As long as Sakusa would be happy in the end....

Everything would be alright.

And eventually, Sakusa was happy again. He was backing to smiling softly and wasn't spacing out as much. On occasions, Sakusa would look over to Komori. His eyes would soften and a sad smile hung on his lips.

_"It'll be okay."_

_"As long as you are happy.... I can be happy."_

Everything Komori did, he did it for him. Even if it meant that he had to give up his wishes, Komori told himself that it was fine. Sometimes that was the way life was...but he constantly told himself that it was okay. His own life was in shambles, but there was still one thing that kept him going.

That soft smile.

If he could keep that smile and that gleam of the eyes in his life, then it was okay. Komori was okay. He didn't care for a while. He didn't care what he had to do... just as long as that smile didn't disappear...

Everything Komori did, was for him.

* * *

PRESENT DAY

Kageyama stared at Komori, who's smile was starting to crack at the edges.

 _Was it really okay?_ he wanted to ask, but that was too personal of a question. Komori gave a soft sigh. 

"I-.... I know. I'm a little bit pitiful," Komori laughed, "I do regret so many things. Sometimes I have nightmares of the agents we killed coming to get me. Sometimes I see Atsumu killing both of us. It's really taxing... but I'm still here. I'm hanging in there."

Kageyama took the gauze out of his mouth, "I know I asked to hear you out.... but is there something you're trying to tell me?"

"I'm not telling you to get Atsumu back. That man has done so many wicked things, but you seem like a sweet guy. You'd be too good for him," Komori gave a small smile, "I'm trying to tell you to leave while you can. It's still not too late."

"I can't leave," Kageyama shook his head, "Not now."

"Your life will become worse! You have to leave," Komori insisted.

"No."

Komori sighed, "Okay... okay. If you ever change your mind.... I can help. I don't want you to end up like me and Sakusa. We've gone too far to go back, but... I can't bear to see someone become confused and upset because of this Yakuza."

Kageyama just nodded a little. The silence settled down as the two just sat there, thinking about their past with their soulmates and what could have been. However, those thoughts were broken as a loud sound rang out.

 _"All hands on board!"_ someone cried out. There was thumping and heavy footsteps running up and down. Kageyama furrowed his eyebrows as he felt a buzz from his phone, which was a burner phone Kita gave him.

 _"Come to the front. Now."_

Kageyama looked over at Komori, who was staring at his phone. His eyes widened as he quickly dashed for the door, making a sharp turn into the weaponry room. Kageyama stood up straight and also headed for the weaponry room.

This was sooner than expect.

Kageyama soon went up the stairs and stood behind the twins and a few others. Komori soon bounded his way over, standing next to Kageyama. Kita cracked his neck as he took off his jacket. 

His metal arm gleamed in the well lit room. Kita stared angrily at the entrance of the underground base. There were heavy footsteps coming down the stairs, the creaking of wood filling the room with sound. 

"You," Kita hissed angrily.

Kageyama watched as the purple dress suit came into view. The man wearing it twisted his cuffs as he finally stood on ground level with Kita.

"It's been a while, Kita Shinsuke."

In the middle of the afternoon, Ushijima Wakatoshi was standing in front of the Inarizaki Yakuza. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Patience is key. I hope you guys are still sticking around till the end :)


	50. Crack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Kita Shinsuke lost his arm...  
> and why Ushijima Wakatoshi decided to show up at Inarizaki's base.

_THE TAKING OF TERRITORY... 3 YEARS AGO_

"LET"S GO!"

Ushijima stood still as he watched the sudden rush of Yakuza members flood their underground base. Shirabu scowled as he tossed Ushijima his gun, "Wakatoshi... go for the leader!" he yelled as a moved back, dodge the swing of a bat. The Yakuza started to laugh as they filled the room, an overwhelming amount of them just continuing to flood in. He knew who they really wanted though...

Their end goal was to finish off Ushijima. Or at the least take this land away from them.

The last to come down the stairs was Kita Shinsuke. His adorned mask gleamed slightly as he stepped under the light, The fangs gave a menacing look as Kita gracefully dodged every single hit that came at him. The man shrugged off his jacket as he finally stood in front of Ushijima. The leader tilted his head as he looked at Ushijima put his gun on a holster, but not breaking his gaze away from Kita. 

Ushijima leaned back as Kita swung at him. He could hear the frustration through his mask as Ushijima kept dodging every hit and kick Kita gave. Finally, Ushijima grabbed Kita, pushing his back by the shoulders. Ushijima swung around, making Kita face towards the entrance of the only empty room. 

The white room in which they killed their biggest targets.

Ushijima forcefully pushed against Kita, who was sliding across the wooden floor, his shoes slightly scrapping against it as he tried to push back. Ushijima shoved Kita into the room, throwing him against the wall. Kita coughed slightly as Ushijima slammed the door behind him and locked it.

"Enough," he scowled, "You fools will never win."

Kita slowly got back up. He shoulders started to move up and down, suddenly throwing his head up into the air. Kita ripped off his mask, letting it fall to the side. He looked back down at Ushijima. His pupil were shrunken as he laughed. 

"I've got you just where I wanted!" 

Kita suddenly jumped at Ushijima, catching him off guard. He grunted as Kita heavily punched him as he approached. Kita landed lightly on his feet, soon ducking low and knocking Ushijima down on one knee.

"The mafia is overrated," Kita grumbled as he squatted down, "Gangs like you are what make people forget about the little ol' Yakuza."

Ushijima lunged for Kita, pushing him over and watching him fall onto his back. Kita's arms shot up as Ushijima tried to pin him down. Ushijima's brow creased as he pushed against KIta's arms. 

That man had the nerve to grin.

"You really put yourself on a high horse!" Kita laughed as he started to push back, slightly moving Ushijima, "What? You build yourself up so much.... yet you're planning to throw that all away?" 

Kita pushed against Ushijima with his whole body, driving him back onto his feet. Kita stood up along with him, shoving Ushijima to the window and turning him around, slamming his against the glass. Kita's right hand kept his head in place as he looked around Ushijima.

"You're really going to throw away your legacy... because of him?"

Kita was directing Ushijima's head towards the direction of Shirabu. His fiance was fighting to his best extend, using his signature spin kicks to knock his opponent away. At one point they caught his leg, but Shirabu was quick to think. He bounced on the foot that was still on the ground, using the gaining height to jump and push himself away using the single foot, then his other when it was released. He smiled as he landed with solid footing. 

"You want to settle down? You want to continue the mafia even though you're.... getting married? Please!" Kita shook his head. He got closer to to Ushijima's ear, "You'll just become one big softy.... and the mafia will fall because of him."

Something in him snapped.

It was one thing to insult him. However....

"Don't you dare bring Kenjirou into this!" he roared as he whipped around, grabbing Kita by the shoulders.

Ushijima leaned back and then slammed his head against Kita's, a hard sound shaking in his ear drums. Kita stumbled back. Ushijima didn't stop though. He charged at Kita, grabbing his right arm and yanking him towards him. Ushijima pivoted and turned around, quickly pulling Kita up onto his back. He gripped the arm tightly as he threw Kita over his shoulder, the man landing on the floor with a satisfying crack of the bones. 

"You can take it out on me, but you can burn in hell if you dare blame anyone else than me for the fall of the mafia!" he yelled as he yanked Kita back up, grasping his shirt as he punched him across the face. 

Kita stretched his jaw, that smile still on his face as he just spat on the ground, turning his head back to Ushijima, "There we go. There's your real fighting spirit!"

The man grabbed Ushijima's arm that was holding onto his shirt. He gripped as twisted, forcing Ushijima to let go of him. Kita pushed himself away from Ushijima, allowing the two to gain some distance for a build up. As Ushijima was about to charge at him, he suddenly stopped. Kita grinned again at that familiar sound that rang outside.

Bullets were leaving the barrel of a gun.

As he glanced out the window, Tendou and Semi were taking a knee. Semi gritted his teeth and he wobbled back up, his hand clutching at his shirt, a dark spot blooming at his shoulder. Tendou had a harder time getting up, putting all of his weight on his left leg as red dripped down his right ankle.

Kita smirked, "Like I said... the mafia is overrated... and weak. You will certainly fall after you seal the deal."

Ushijima lunged at him, driving Kita back into a wall and slamming him against it. He grabbed a fistful of Kita's hair, bashing his head against the wall twice. As he let him go, Ushijima quickly landed some more punches, going left and right on the man's torso and face. At the end, Ushijima went for a uppercut, his fist colliding with Kita's jaw. Kita hissed from the pain. 

Ushijima backed away, breathing heavily. He wiped away the seat that dripped down his cheeks. 

The Yakuza leader's shoulders fell, but a smile was still on his face.

"Not bad," Kita murmured as he swiped his thumb across a cut on his lip. Half of a laugh came out as he shook his head and he took his stance again.

Ushijima glanced back outside. It was getting worse....

Goshiki was yelling across the people, telling everyone to keep going. Semi's arm shook as he tried to shoot, but the wound in his right shoulder must have been getting deeper. The recoil would hurt him. Tendou was giving everything he had left, but the Yakuza constantly went at his legs, forcing him back down as they jumped on him. Reon and Shirabu were desperately fending off as many people as they could, but even they had their limits. Some of the other members were dead or severely injured...

"You lose," Kita muttered as he punched Ushijima across the face. Ushijima was caught off guard as he was staring out the window, but the punch didn't seem to sting as much anymore. 

Ushijima was unwavering as Kita kept throwing punches, blows landing on his chest and arms. There was the occasional face punch, but Ushijima barely turned his head at that. His eyes darkened as he caught Kita's punch, gripping the fist with a great force. 

"Kita Shinsuke."

Kita just stared at his fist, trying to wriggle loose. As he stared up at Ushijima, his eyes widened.

"One of my favorite sayings goes like this: _"An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."_ Two of my own could lose their limbs if we don't treat them right now... so you may take this base..."

Ushijima crushed Kita's hand, the sound a bones cracking ferociously as Ushijima dug his fingers deeper into the flesh.

**"In exchange for your arm."**

With the sweep of his legs, Ushijima knocked Kita onto the ground. The man landed face down, with Ushijima pulling his right arm back. Ushijima stepped on Kita's back, pressing against his frame harshly as he took the arm with both of his hands. He pulled the arm towards him as he pushed against the man's back.

_Crack._

Kita let out an agonizing scream as Ushijima smiled at the sound. Something cracked where the shoulder and arm connected, and the arm was breaking away from it's socket, bright red appearing. Not enough. His hands moved further down as he harshly twisted near the forearm, hearing another cracking sound of bones. Kita screamed again, his arm turning red and purple from internal bleeding. Ushijima threw the limp arm down, stepping on it with the heel of his foot, a few cuts appearing and blood seeping out. He stepped on the broken hand as he left Kita, heading for the door.

"Let's see if you could save your arm with those shattered bones," Ushijima murmured, "Let's just see if the Yakuza really is better than the little ol' mafia."

Ushijima swung the door open as Kita kept screaming in pain. He gestured to Shirabu to tell everyone to leave. Shirabu was about to protest, but he just sighed, knowing very well about the conditions of everyone else.

"Retreat!"

Ushijima pushed his way through the few Yakuza members that were still trying to fight.When As the others carried Tendou and Semi up the exit, Ushijima looked back at the white room. He smiled as no one appeared at the window.

As he went up the stairs, he could still hear Kita screaming.

* * *

Kita's eyes slowly opened, staring up at a small amount of steam coming from a humidifier above him. There was an oxygen mask placed over his face, which felt rather claustrophobic. A few quiet monitors hummed through out the room, the soft beeps of heartbeats and pulses moving up and down. Kita turned his head to his left, checking it anyone was there. 

Osamu and Atsumu blinked is disbelief as he squinted at them.

"Finally," Osamu muttered, "Go get the doctor, Sumu."

Atsumu just nodded as he ran out the door, calling out some name. 

"How... how long?" Kita murmured, his dry lips cracking from the lack of water. 

"A few weeks? Maybe even a whole month?" Osamu explained, "They tried their best to save your arm. and you were awake, but then you fell in and out of consciousness. The first time they tried to put your arm back with the metal bar and nails.... but..."

Kita could feel the ghost of a pain in his arm. As he glanced over to his right side, there was an empty arm sleeve. Kita reached up to his shoulder and only felt a knob under all those bandages. 

"They couldn't save it. The head of the humerus bone was cracked away from the socket and it became worse while we moved you to the car.Your hand bones were also shattered..."

Osamu's words faded away as the doctors rushed in to check in on him. There were all sorts of tools scanning and checking his eyes, ears, temperature, his IV, and all the basics. Some nurses went to check on his amputation, while the doctor started to speak thoroughly, stating more details on what Osamu was saying. The mask was soon taken away from his face as the doctors kept talking. 

It's gone?

His right arm.... what he used to do everything... is gone?

Kita blinked in confusion as droplets of water slid down to the sides of his face. He soon realized that his vision was very blurry and everything in his eyes were stinging. Kita shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. A dream... this was a dream... 

Yet the ghost pain still shot up his non-existent arm.

"Can I go for a walk?" Kita quietly asked as the doctor finished. 

After a cup of water and the twins assistance, Kita walked out the room, his left hand hanging onto the IV stand that was provided for him. Kita dragged his feet as he walked down the hallway, a few cries and beeps ringing out once in a while. His gaze stayed on the ground as he kept walking and walking. 

He suddenly stopped as he saw a pair of black dress shoes appeared in his field of vision. Kita slowly look up, soon seeing that tacky purple dress suit and black tie.

"How's your arm doing... Kita Shinsuke?" 

That low voice made his blood boil. Kita's eyes narrowed at he met eyes with Ushijima, "Not here."

Ushijima just nodded as he gestured towards the elevetaor. The two walked down all the way to the very back of the recreation area outside, facing each other as they stopped in the empty area.

"Obviously, it's great!" Kita yelled a little, swallowing down any remorse that was left from when he woke up.

Ushijima had a smirk on his face, but there was something a little unsettling about it. As Kita looked closer, he could see the redness in the edges of his eyes. There was exhaustion hanging within him, and the smirk was becoming strained.

"What about you? How's your little ol' mafia doing?" he carefully asked, trying to get a lead on something.

"They're doing wonderfully."

"What about that fiance of yours?"

Ushijima was taken back by the question. Kita narrowed his eyes as Ushijima started to blink quickly, his fists curling at his sides, "He's doing just fine."

Bingo.

"If all you wanted to do was taunt me," Kita mumbled, "I'll be on my own way."

Ushijima didn't stop him as Kita brushed past him, the right arm sleeve giving a pathetic slap as it hit Ushijima's arm. Kita shook his head as he pushed the IV stand along. 

"Until we meet on the field," Ushijima suddenly spoke up, "Then I'll really show you which syndicate rules Japan."

Kita stopped, a small laugh coming out of his throat, "We'll see about that."

He left Ushijima in the recreation space as he took the long walk back to his room. At one point, Kita just wandered through all the halls of the hospital, wondering how he would be able to keep the Yakuza afloat. 

Kita looked up, spotting someone being pushed on a wheelchair. Kita scooted over to make more space for the wheelchair as he kept walking on. For a moment he glace towards the person in the wheelchair, who had some sore of bracing and casts on his legs. Kita's eyes widened as he started to recognize the facial features.

Shirabu Kenjirou.

He kept walking on before the man could look up at him. Was it from that day? No.... the ones who got shot were Tendou Satoori and Semi Eita, Ushijima's right hand and his best shooter. Tendou did injure his leg... but Kita hadn't seen him. Why was Shirabu here?

Unless... did something happen while he was out?

Kita eventually made it back to his room, where Atsumu and Osamu were waiting. Atsumu was on the phone, nodding along with whatever the person on the other line was saying.

"What's going on?" Kita asked as he glanced over to Osamu.

"Well... we've been working on finding you a replacement arm."

Atsumu hung up as the call ended, "And we think we have something. Someone in the center district has some pretty amazing prosthetic... for combat."

Here we go.

If Kita had his chance to bite Ushijima at his weakest run, then so be it. Call it cheating or unfair, but a win is a win. Even if it meant living without his right arm, KIta had to get back at what Ushijima had done.

It was about time the mafia was erased from Japan once and for all.

"When... and where can I meet them?"

* * *

_PRESENT DAY_

The tension was thick.

Ushijima stared at the metal arm that was on Kita, which shined as the lights hit it on the right places. The main members of the Yakuza stood behind Kita, the twins and Suna on the front lines. Aran Ojiro and a few others stood behind them. However... there was a couple people that stood out more than the rest.

"Birds of Prey... and Itachiyama?" Ushijima chuckled, "You've really swooped that low, didn't you?"

"Don't pretend that you didn't eye them before," Kita spat, narrowing his eyes, "We've become stronger thanks to them."

"I remember seeing you... Sakusa. That day, you were one of the snipers that shot Semi and Tendou," Ushijima muttered, "Shame that you didn't show your face.... it's not every day you see the agent who turned into a cold blooded killer."

Sakusa clenched his fists. 

"And you... Kageyama Tobio," Ushijima turned his attention to him, "You wouldn't have fit in with the mafia either way. Someone reckless and sloppy as you wouldn't flourish with us. It's still amazing though.... you've proclaimed to me several times that you would defeat me, yet you are here... with a bunch of low-blow ruffians and ex-agents."

There was one reason why Ushijima came here. 

"At least none of our members are out of comission!" Kita yelled as his eyes widened from anger. He suddenly started to chuckle, "How are his legs? Are they dust yet?"

Not to be provoked.

"He may not be able to stand.... but at least we don't take on pathetic tactics to... what was it again? Show the mafia that the Yakuza is better? You've really let your fancy crutch get to your head.... should I take your left arm too?" Ushijima shook his head as he cracked his knuckles, "Or maybe a leg?"

He needed to provoke them because everyone knew...

Those who make the first move are usually the ones who are the most reckless.

"Enough," Kita muttered, venom laced in his voice, "What do you want?"

"It's December.... we're almost at New Years," Ushijima informed him, "December is also where everything went down hill for all of us."

He narrowed his eyes.

"I plan on taking this all back," Ushijima claimed, "Taking it all back before the end of the year."

"Is that a threat?" Kita asked as he tilted his head.

"A threat, a warning, a proclamation... you can take it however you want," Ushijima sighed as he turned around, "Just be prepared.... I don't want to win so easily against you as the last time we faced off. I'll be waiting on the fields.... don't disappoint me."

Ushijima could practically feel Kita's sour face as he walked away. He could imagine those eyes twitching and him already barking out a plan and orders within the next two weeks. 

Two weeks. There were two more weeks until the new years came in. Ushijima smiled as he walked towards his car, looking down at his phone. He typed in some words to Oikawa's agency. There was still some unfinished business between them...

It concerned those who made his life into shambles... all because of a fire.

Why not get rid of everything at once?

What else would be better... than to end the year off with a bang? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last of the flashbacks! We're back into the present baby :D


	51. Recharge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hard days are coming on,so the agents take a moment to recharge their batteries.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Everyone looked up at Iwaizumi, who was on the phone. The agent rubbed his temples as he muttered a few things and proceeded to hang up. Tsukishima was just working on activating and fixing any in-ear communicators, while Kuroo, Akaashi, and Bokuto were marking maps of the Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki territories. Iwaizumi just shook his head as he looked down at his phone.

"Ushiwaka decided to show up at Inarizaki today," he said with a pressed smile, "Do you know what he said?"

"Please tell me that they've all decided to become best friends and quit the crime field," Kuroo joked as he looked up from the piles of maps.

"As if," Iwaizumi chuckled, but the smile turned sour real quick, "No. Ushiwaka is planning on attacking... in two weeks."

Heavy sighs went around. 

"But, wait! There's more," Iwaizumi sarcastically added, "He asked for us, Nekodorani, to lure Birds of Prey into the battle. I'm sure you guys are aware of why, but shall I explain?"

Akaashi tapped his sharpie on the table, "Go ahead."

Iwaizumi walked up to the maps, pointing directly at Ushijima's home residence, "He's planning to do at his home base... which is his house, in case if that isn't obvious. Inarizaki may break though the seal of the underground passages in order to get in or they could just arrive at their front step. The disadvantage for Inarizaki is that it's on Shiratorizawa's territory, and also that Ushiwaka just has a huge home. It's easy for anyone to get lost in there, even if they do have the blueprints for it."

"So they're trying to bait Inarizaki and us... to get lost in that maze of a mansion... and fight each other?" Tsukishima asked as he stared at the layout from were he was sitting, yawning after he put his thought out into the open. 

"Some where along those lines. The point is that Ushiwaka basically wants a clear victory, and considering that fact that he decided on his own home as the battle ground, he's pretty confident in himself. What he's trying to do is wear Birds of Prey and Inarizaki down by letting them encounter each other. That way, when someone from Nekodorani or Shiratorizawa finds them," Iwaizumi snapped his fingers, "They'll be at their weakest point and easy to kill."

"Didn't Ushijima want to finish off Kita on his own though?" Akaashi questioned.

"He's probably going to single out a few people so that he can get to them," Iwaizumi continued, "The thing is... Inarizaki is probably thinking the same thing. Either they're going to bait Birds of Prey to come by bringing in the other soulmate half, or they'll use Kageyama. Either way, they'll make Birds of Prey run to the battle right away. Anger cause people to be reckless, so in the end, recklessness will lead to overworking, wearing down, and then... weak point. Bam. someone dies."

"Wear and tear, hm?" Bokuto contemplated as he rubbed his chin, "It's amazing how they practically have the same idea of something or someone doing most of the dirty work. Bring in the agents, let the other group rough them up, and then swoop for the kill," he relayed out loud, "Or, beat the living crap out of one soulmate half, draw the attention of the other, fight them, and then go for a kill."

"We're all just fighting and bringing each other down." Tsukishima murmured, "It's pretty simple."

"Tsukki, stop mangling that earpiece."

Tsukishima looked over at Kuroo who was staring down at Tsukishima's hands. As he looked down at what he was holding, he realizing that wires were coming out off the in-ear communicator he was fixing. Didn't he put it down before Iwaizumi started to talk...?

Bokuto nudged Akaashi slightly, "You're tapping a permanent hole into the table."

It would seem as if Akaashi forgot to put the cap back on the marker. He stopped tapping his pen and quickly searched for the cap. Tsukishima let out another long yawn, shaking his head slightly as he felt a wave of grogginess. 

"What are you two surviving off of?" Iwaizumi asked as he looked at them.

"Americano with five... maybe six shots," they both replied.

"Don't tell me... Tsukki!" Kuroo scolded, "You haven't been sleeping... have you?"

The two threw up mocking peace signs, "Three all-nighters."

"Oh my god, you've got to be joking," Kuroo and Bokuto said in disappointment. 

"To be fair, you try to fix every in-ear communicator for all the agents," Tsukishima defended, "Everyone in the technology department are too busy to help rewire these things. Not to mention, we've been sort out weaponry as well."

"I've been running around to do meetings with Johzenji," Akaashi added on, "I also have to start working on meetings with Iron Wall after today."

"You can ask for help from us," Kuroo reminded.

"You two are busy with this whole mapping and just the planning in general," Akaashi noted, "Theses tasks aren't as big as the main thing."

Tsukishima watched as Kuroo and Bokuto just shook their heads. Ever since they sent Kageyama in, everyone had been working their heads off 24 hours. They've been running around from agency to meetings to apartments... practically everywhere in order to fix up deals and collect gear. Tsukishima had ignored his sleep just to finish off things perfectly, but it seemed like he was starting to lose his mind. 

Seemed about right.

"Go home," Iwaizumi sighed, "We have most things done with for today. The next two weeks are going to be hectic, so you guys have to go get some proper rest... all of you. I'll take care of the last in-ear communicators."

They were about to protest, but Iwaizumi firmly shook his head, "Go on! Leave. Out!" 

Hesitating, everyone packed up for the day and went to grab their jackets. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes as everything seemed to be moving. The lights were shining pretty brightly, and there were objects becoming blurs.

Oh come on, it couldn't be that bad. It's just sleep loss.

What's the worse that could happen?

* * *

Out of all the rarities of the world, Kuroo had never seen Tsukishima in a somewhat drunken state.

Drunk due to lack of sleep, to be exact.

Due to his long nights, Tsukishima seemed to be losing control of his own actions and emotions. He narrowed and squinted his eyes at everything in the apartment. Currently, the blond was squinting as Boba. While Tsukishima was laying down on the couch, Boba decided to hop on top of him. He held Boba's head in his hands as he gently ruffled it, maybe a little too much. 

"Kuroo.... I thought you shaved yesterday?" he asked as he stared at Boba, "Why do you have a beard?"

"Tsukki, please let go of Boba before you squish his head," Kuroo gently said as he moved Tsukishima's hands away from Boba. He stood over the blond as he stared down at him. Tsukishima let his hands hang in the air until he found Kuroo's face and promptly grabbed it.

"Oh? It's my boyfriend," Tsukishima realized, "Who was that guy then?"

"That was Boba," Kuroo laughed a little as he placed his hands over Tsukishima's, "Boyfriend? We've never used that before."

"Why not? We've already went on dates, danced, and we practically live together. It's not like you're going to leave... right?" Tsukishima asked, the last part said a little more softly than the rest.

Kuroo smiled gently, "I promised. Of course I'll stay... forever and always."

Tsukishima's hands let go of his face as he yawned. Kuroo sighed softly as he looked at Tsukishima's uneven blinking, "C'mon... go to sleep. You'll start hallucinating worse things if you don't."

Tsukishima slowly got up as he stood on his feet. Kuroo supported him as he found his way to the bed. As Tsukishima sat went to lay down on the bed, Kuroo gently took off the blond's glasses and placed them in the case. As Kuroo as about to leave, he felt Tsukishima grab his wrist.

"You said you were going to stay," Tsukishima murmured, "Recharge with me... hm?"

"I still have some work to do-"

"Please?"

Kuroo turned around to look at Tsukishima. There was the softest look in his eyes as he looked at Kuroo. Kuroo gave a soft sigh as he nodded, waiting for Tsukishima to scoot over. After a little readjusting, they were nestled up together, the familiar warmth spreading within him as some drowsiness fell over him.

Tsukishima turned to face him, "Don't overwork yourself either, Kuroo," he murmured as he placed his head over his chest.

"I'm not going to," Kuroo reassured.

"You have to take care of yourself too... you do know that I care, right?" 

"I know. Even if you don't show it I know," he replied as he placed a kiss on the top of Tsukishima's head.

Kuroo stared at Tsukishima's features as the blond started to close his eyes. His hand reached up, and his thumb gently swept across Tsukishima's cheek, brushing against faded sun freckles that were barely seen. His eyelashes fluttered slightly as the touch, but Tsukishima just gave a soft sigh and leaned into it. 

How was he so lucky to get him as his soulmate?

It felt right to say it about now.

"Hey... Kei. I haven't said this yet...."

Tsukishima shook his head, "Save that for later... Tetsurou," he murmured, "Let's wait till we win this and it's all over."

His heart fluttered a little when Tsukishima said name. Ah, he wish Tsukishima would say it more often. This side of him was nice. Maybe Kuroo would see it more as time went on, as their relationship grew, and as their connection strengthened itself. Those words would be have more impact once they won, finishing off all of their problems. They would finally be able relax and bask in the time they've lost from ignoring their mark in the beginning.

They would be able to recharge from all those restless and stressful times.

Kuroo kissed the top of Tsukishima's head once more as the blond fell asleep. 

"Don't worry," he whispered softly, "I promised that you wouldn't get hurt and that I'd take care of myself. We'll win with no damage, okay? Cross my heart."

He held him close as he started to relax. Kuroo soon closed his eyes as well, taking in the warmth of everything around him.

Kuroo never wanted to leave this.

As long as they won, as long as they finally rose up against Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki, as long as everything went according to plan....

He would be able to keep this happiness forever and always.

* * *

Bokuto looked up from the sink at the sound a of bag crinkling. Akaashi soon appeared at the bathroom door, holding up a bag. 

"Hey, what's this?" Akaashi asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh!" Bokuto exclaimed as he recognize it, "It was a gift for you. I never did give it to you, did I?"

"Can I open it?"

"Of course," he smiled, "Let's think of it as a good luck charm before chaos reigns."

Akaashi pulled out the sweater first. He smiled at he unrolled it, looking at the colors and touching the soft fabric. He put it on right away, making Bokuto smile as the colors compliments his pajamas nicely. The plush owls came out next, which made Akaashi smile even wider. 

"Bokuto," he smiled, "This is lovely."

He finished washing his face and wiped away any water left, "I'm glad you like it. I really meant to give it to you earlier, but then we got caught up in so much."

Akaashi took the tag off of the sweater, "It's better late than never. Thank you so much."

The man came up to his and gave him a gentle peck. Bokuto smiled as he returned the sweet gesture. Akaashi was about to move past him to brush his teeth, but he wobbled around from the lack of sleep. It must have affected his sense of mobility. Bokuto handed him the toothpaste and toothbrush, then moving his hand to support him.

"Thank you," Akaashi repeated as he started to brush his teeth. Bokuto waited until he was done. After a few minutes, Akaashi was all finished and ready to get some well deserved sleep.

Bokuto sat on the edge of the bed as he took off his slipper and socks. Akaashi sat next to him, staring at him for a while before speaking up.

"Can you promise me something, Bokuto?"

He looked up at Akaashi, who was already searching into his eyes, "Yeah... what is it?"

"Promise me that on the field... we'll meet each other after it all ends, okay?" he said as he held up his little finger.

"Akaashi..."

"I know we can hope for the best... but something could go wrong. Please... once we get out there, promise me that I'll see you again. I know it isn't until two weeks, but everything is going to go by so quickly. So... promise me that these two weeks won't be the last time we see each other, okay?"

"Keiji."

Akaashi blinked quickly, suddenly taken back by the sound of his name. Bokuto cupped his face gently, "I said I wanted to live a beautiful life with you... right? I can't do that if I'm dead... of course I'll come back to you alive. I'll run into your arms as Ushiwaka and Kita are sent off in police cars. Promise."

He linked his little finger with Akaashi's, "I love you... so I will meet you once this is all over."

"I love you too," Akaashi smiled, "I'll wait for you, okay?" 

The two shared one last sweet kiss before they settled in, closing all the blinds and turning off all the lights. Sleeping in the late afternoon wasn't normal, but they needed as much rest as they could. They snuggled close and rested into each others arms, falling fast asleep. The quiet humming of the A/C didn't bother them. Tofu nestled himself at the feet of the couple, snoring softly along with their soft breathing. They dreamed beautiful dreams of that beautiful life, but they had the same worries. They tried to overcome it with that hope.... the idea that everyone would come out alive and safe. 

Everyone had the same hope.

All around, the soulmate pairs were making promises and saying their deepest feelings as they all went to recharge. Some shared gifts, some shared their warmth, and some shared affections. There was the repetition of "I love you" from some, while other just let the comfortable silence do the talking for them. A few laid restless as they were away from their partners, wondering if they would even be able to keep growing with one another.

Wondering... if everything really would be alright.

Even the yakuza and the mafia were full of worries. One sat next to their lover, hoping that he would be able to take revenge for the tragedy that happened to him. Another, wondered if he could sort his confusion before everything went wrong. One yearned for their soulmate, while one despised theirs to bits. 

They all had the same hope though.

They all hoped that this would end soon... just so that they could finally relax.

Just so that they could live peacefully and happily.

It was all they dreamed for.

That was all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drink in the softness of this chapter while you can because after this...  
> ;)


	52. D-Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's go.

Kageyama held his kitsune mask in his hands, red and blue decals swirling around the cheeks of the fox. The other members bustled around as they collected guns and ammunition. Some carried daggers and knifes, while others had brass knuckles. Everyone placed their masks over their faces as Kita called on for them. Kageyama walked on over, placing his mask over his face as he stood among the others.

The leader wore a white and black jacket, adorned with a mustard yellow handkerchief in the pocket. The right sleeve of his jacket was cut off, so his arm was on full display as he looked out on them. 

The other day, Kita had sent Kageyama back to the agency to get the full blueprint of the underground and residential territory. To Yakuza's knowledge, Kageyama had simply asked for time off in order to spend the end of the year with his family, but choose to join them in secret before his "vacation" started, which is why he wore the agent uniform when Kita found him. So, it wouldn't seem suspicious that Kageyama had returned when he heard the news of the whole situation. As any agent would, they would hop in immediately to help. Kita took the opportunity to send Kageyama in for information. 

Apparently, Ushijima had asked Nekodorani to bring in Birds of Prey. Kita gave a pleased smile at that. It meant that Inarizaki could just go straight to the location rather than attract the soulmate pairs out by force. 

Of course, they still hadn't caught onto Kageyama. The ring mic really was a smart idea.

"We'll breach in from underground," Kita announced, "They may have blocked off the entrance, but we can always take it down. Everyone knows their marks, right?"

The Yakuza nodded and shouted with confidence. The inner circle was in charge of taking down the bigger threats, while the others were going for the extras. Kita had left Ushijima for himself. Kageyama wasn't give a specific assignment... he was just told to target anyone from his "old" agency.

"Kageyama," Kita turned his head to him, "You stick with me in the beginning. I have something... special for you to do."

Kageyama gave a slight nod in response. As Kita started to walk into a hallway no one had gone through, everyone else followed in suit. A few people in the front carried explosives. Kita stopped as the cement wall appeared. Behind that, was the path straight to the Ushijima residence.

Kita pulled out a lighter. 

"Let the Yakuza be known. Let our existence spread like fire!"

9 p.m.

Everyone started to move out.

* * *

After two weeks of hectic planning, papers, and meetings, the two agencies were ready to roll.

Kuroo clipped the buckled of his chest harness over his black high neck shirt. He then placed his two handguns on holders that rested lower on the harness. The Nekodorani crest was right on the center of of holders, as well of the colors on two small pockets that were on his belt. Kuroo then snapped on his gloves and placed his in-ear communicator.

Next to him, Tsukishima was wiping off any smudges from his eye guard glasses, a lighter weight pair of frames with a slightly tinted glass, just enough so that Tsukishima could still aim properly. They were also prescribed, so he would still shoot with a good field of vision. He wore a similar attire, except that he wore the same thermal turtleneck and a different crest.

"Daichi is almost here," Iwaizumi said as he entered the room, "Once he brings over Oikawa and the others, we'll split ways."

Akaashi rubbed his hands together, "It's really happening...."

"Don't let the nerves get to you," Yaku reassured as he cracked his knuckles, "Iron Wall will be on site and so will Johzenji." 

Makki grabbed the keys to one of the vans and tossed the other to Bokuto, "We got this!" they encouraged themselves. Bokuto and Makki walked out to bring the vans to the front. 

A few more agents from Nekodorani and Birds of Prey popped up. Kuroo looked out the window as he heard the arrival of Sawamura and the rest. Everyone stood up on their feet and went outside.

There were light flurries of snow falling from nothingness. No clouds were above them, but as he looked towards there destination, there were snow clouds up ahead. A cold chill came in as Oikawa hopped out of Bird of Prey's van. The leaders of the agency wore their blazers, with their guns strapped across their chests. Oikawa moved towards their vans, looking behind him for a moment.

"I believe in all of you," he murmured, "Let's win this."

He soon climbed into one of the vans without another word. The Nekodorani agents wore a smile as some boarded the vans. 

"Let's come back with our soaring wings. Let's go!"

The agent yelled a hearty "yeah!" as they climbed into the van. Tsukishima was about to board, but Kuroo grabbed his wrist before he could get on. Tsukishima turned around to look at Kuroo.

"Once more for good luck," Kuroo softly said as he pulled Tsukishima in close. He planted a soft peck on Tsukishima's lips and smiled at him. Tsukishima returned the gesture and gave a reassuring nod.

"I'll see you out there," Tsukishima replied as he pulled away from Kuroo's hold. He gave a small wave as he went into the van, closing the door behind him. Kuroo walked over to the second van and hopped into the passenger seat. Bokuto sat in the driver's seat. Kuroo buckled himself in, staring into the rear view mirror. Kenma, Yaku, Lev, Kai, and a few others sat in the back.

Kuroo watched as the vans in front of him lurched forward. Bokuto gripped the wheel of the van as they started to move forward, moving on to the location of where everything would happen. Kuroo took in a deep breath as he cracked his neck.

"Alright... let's do this."

* * *

There was a heavy snowfall outside of the home. The wind howled through the pine trees and brushed snow up from the ground, creating swirls of white and grey. It was all silent at the Ushijima residency, the curtains wide open as the reflection of the white snow brought in light. Ushijima watched outside as he stood in the center of the home,a great chandelier above him, but the lights were off. He closed his eyes as he heard tapping and rustling from the hallway that led to the back.

"So you've broke the wall down, hm?"

Ushijima turned to see Kita walking down the hall, that damned fox mask laughing at him as he got closer. He had someone near in him as stood a few feet away from Ushijima.

"It was pretty thick," Kita chuckled, "At least we didn't break the whole underground beneath you."

Two more people appeared from the left and right hallways. If it worked, Birds of Prey would be coming in through the left side of the garden entrance, while Nekodorani would arrive from the front. 

Oikawa stood across from Sawamura, the two heads of the agencies looking around at the syndicate leaders. Sawamura's eyes lingered on the Yakuza member with the blue and red mask, his eyes narrowing as he kept looking at him.

"Well," Oikawa huffed, "We have the whole gang here."

"Indeed," Kita replied as he kept his gaze on Bird of Prey's leader, "It seems as if the sweet little crow decided to join our play date."

"It's best to get rid of every flaw at once," Ushijima murmured as he kept his gaze steady, "We out number you.... so why not just let me pull the trigger and end your flawed life?"

Kita started to laugh, "Wait, wait, wait. You think that you three outnumber us? Wakatoshi... you always had a little too much trust in your allies," he quietly said as he shook his head gravely

Kita suddenly whipped around, grabbing the person who stood by him and tightening his right arm around the neck. He pulled out his gun with his left, pointing it at the temple of his head. Kita slightly moved his hand to rip off the mask, revealing Kageyama's face. The rookie agent's face remained stoic.

Soon, everyone lifted their guns to each other, the eyes glaring at one another. 

"Sawamura... the Yakuza never stops watching," Kita scowled, "You really had the nerve to send in your own..."

Kageyama's eyes widened.

"And Kageyama.... we're always keeping tabs on our newer members," he murmured as he pressed the gun harder against his temple, "Even if no one else noticed, I always notice. Strange, isn't it? Since when did rings feel hot? You thought I wouldn't notice it when we sparred?"

The rookie squeezed his eyes in frustration. 

"Overheating," Sawamura mumbled out loud, "It's hard to have a decent and lightweight cooling system."

"So you admit it," Kita yelled, "which means you know what will happen to this little one!"

"Leave a mark on him, and you'll get it," Sawamura growled as he cocked his gun.

"And what of it? This monster can't feel anything!" Kita spat, "No wonder why he didn't feel the heat of the ring. Maybe he'll feel something when a bullet goes through him It'll be amazing to see shock on his face as he watched his brains pour out. Wouldn't you agree Kageyama?"

Kageyama stood still, not moving a muscle.

"Also, as I said before, you do have a little too much trust with your allies," Kita continued as he looked back at Ushijima, "Do you even know who your protector frolics with?" 

Ushijima narrowed his eyes, "Oikawa isn't a fool. He's smart enough to know not to deal with those reckless and foolish agents. People like him know who to go with in order to flourish and benefit themselves."

Kita stared at him with a look of disbelief, "You... you really are an idiot!" he laughed, throwing his head back.

When Ushijima glanced over to Oikawa, he realized that the gun wasn't pointed towards Sawamura.

It was pointing at him.

Oikawa gave a smirk, "I'm pretty smart, I know.... but I'm smart enough to know the difference between alliance and manipulation."

"The things people do.... just because of a silly mark," Kita sighed, "This whole revolt is because of it, isn't it? You're doing it for revenge," he said as he tilted his head towards Ushijima, then towards the left and right, "And you two are doing it for your own desires. And me?"

He put his finger close to the trigger.

"I killed mine. What makes you think that I can't do the same with all of yours?"

Sawamura placed his finger on his trigger, "You won't."

The fangs on Kita's mask gleamed, his finger starting to push down. 

In a flash, Kageyama had ripped away from Kita's grip, taking in a gasp of air as he shoved the metal arm away, "You know... it's pretty silly of you to be sparring with me everyday even if you did know about the ring," he coughed, backing up to be on Sawamura's side, "Besides.... I'm one of the only ones to land a blow on you. Thanks for the training."

Kita lifted up his mask, those wild hazel eyes looking around, "It's been my pleasure.... but let me show you my full power tonight, Kageyama."

Everyone ducked as a bullet shot out of Kita's gun. Kita lurched forward, going for the people of Birds of Prey. As he ran towards them, he stepped on the mask that Kageyama had on. 

"Target fired, I repeat target fired!" Sawamura yelled into his communicator, "Get moving... it's started!"

There were thumps and shouting from all ends. Sawamura and Kageyama ducked into the left hallway, running further into the house. Kita proceeded to chase after them, an angry look on his face. Ushijima could already hear gun shots and yells from upstairs. 

"To think that this would be easy," he sighed as he looked over to Oikawa, "I still have two priorities.... don't think that you turning on me will make me stop. I'll come for you at the end," he said as he started to walk away. 

Oikawa's face scrunched up, "I'm right here. Why not just come at me?!"

"I know you've made a mistake," Ushijima continued as he clicked bullets into place while he walked past Oikawa, "Hopefully you'll realize this after I'm done. If you don't...."

He stopped in his tracks, "I won't hesitate to find your partner and blast both of your heads off. A pair dying together... isn't that lovely?"

Ushijima ran down the right hall, leaving Oikawa to wallow in anger. While there were two people on his hit list, one was a priority over the other. If that agent hadn't shot at the oven, Shirabu would have never ended up how he is. That blond agent.... that was the one he needed to kill first. The other agent and Kita, they could wait.

Ushijima would feel at ease once he killed that one.

9:45 p.m. 

Was the start time when all chaos rained down at the Ushijima residence. 


	53. Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Offense vs. Defense.

So many voices were shouting into his ear. There was yelling from both Oikawa and Sawamura ringing in his ears. Other agents were shouting who was on sight, while some told their location and if they needed help.

It was just a minute in, but everything happened so quickly.

Akaashi shot down Inarizaki members who were coming at him, not stopping for a second as he ran down the hall. Their main goal was to get the main members of Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki in cuffs. Johzenji and Iron wall were on standby, ready to come in if things were getting too hectic for the agencies. Akaashi kept running down the hall, knocking down anyone who tried to stop him. 

There was someone chasing right after him. 

He could hear the thumping behind him. If it was the inner circle members, he had to get them somewhere confined. Akaashi had a bigger advantage when there were less people around. Where... where...

Akaashi eyes widened as he started to reach an emptier part of the hall. A two door room was wide open, but no one was around. Even if there were people inside, Akaashi would be able to take them down. Akaashi ran into the room, twisting between rows and rows of shelves.

The home library.

Hundreds of shelves were filled with books. Akaashi weaved through the tall shelves, making sure to avoid any rustling or knocking between turns. He stopped for a moment, leaning against a shelf of classic literature. He glanced at the books, reading some titles as he reloaded his gun and put it away.

Huh, _Black Beauty_. That's a good read. 

"Report your location, please report your location," Kenma spoke through the mic, "You hear me, Akaashi?"

Akaashi pressed his finger against his communicator, "Third floor library, left wing of the house" he whispered as quietly as possible.

"Noted. Please stay safe," Kenma murmured as he switched channels.

Akaashi released his finger from the communicator. He looked around the shelf, peeking to see if anyone was coming. He then turned around and checked behind him. No one was in sight. He peeked back out. That's funny... he could have sworn someone was following-

He flinched at the heavy creak of the doors. A solid thud rang out as the doors closed. 

An eerie whistle echoed as the person walked. The clicks of the shoes echoed in tune with whatever song the person was whistling.

"Break their hearts.... break their souls, give that soulmate mark one big hole! Hurt one and attract the other, so then killing the two won't be a bother!" the voice sang out as he walked through the pathways of shelves, "Akaashi Keiji.... come out, come out wherever you are~!"

Tendou Satoori. A strong source of defense for Shiratorizawa. He specializes in hand to hand combat, but he is better at constantly defending rather than churning out attacks. He wears out his opponent before attacking. 

"Not so fast.... I have orders. He's mine," another voice called out.

Suna Rintaro. Another stronger defender. Specializes in hand to hand as well, constantly defending himself by twisting and turning his whole body. He also gives out attacks while he avoids being hit, typically using weapons to his advantage as well. He's known for breaking and "reshaping" limbs. 

Akaashi leaned more towards offense. He was a sword, not a shield.

They really did think about these match ups. 

Akaashi whipped around as he heard the floor behind him creak. He barely stopped a metal bat from hitting him in the face, holding and pushing back on the bat as he stared into Suna's scowling face. Akaashi promptly twisted the bat, hoping to break it away from Suna. The man dropped it at the sudden movement, and Akaashi quickly took it away before Suna could pick it up. He threw it behind him, making sure that it was far away from them.

"You want to go the long way?" Suna asked, "Alright... we'll drag this out."

Suna lunged for his legs, knocking him over and onto the floor. The man tried to pin him down by his wrists, but Akaashi was quick to act. Akaashi brought his legs in before Suna could press them down with his body, putting all of his strength in his legs to push up against Suna, lifting him over and away from Akaashi's body. Suna landed near the top of his head with a thud. Akaashi quickly got back up before Suna could grab his head.

"Strong legs," Suna murmured as he coughed, getting back up with a smirk on his face, "That'll make it fun for me to break them." 

Akaashi jumped back as he saw Suna go low again. Suddenly, Suna came up quickly, hitting him with an uppercut right on his jaw. Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows as he heard his teeth chattered together from the impact. Akaashi shook his head, leaning back as Suna went for another punch. Akaashi glanced down to find an opening. There. His arms are so close to his chest that his torso is exposed. Akaashi went for a low hook.

Suna dodged it switfly, bending to one side. Akaashi clicked his tongue as he went for the other side, but Suna was quick to lower his arm and block Akaashi's punch. Suna smirked as Akaashi continued to try to land a blow.

No matter where he went, Suna's arm would be there to block it. Even if Akaashi saw Suna's punch coming towards him, he couldn't dodge it. Akaashi backed up as he received a solid blow on his stomach. He huffed, glaring at Suna as the man rubbed his hands. Suna stood back as well, breathing heavily. Akaashi glanced down at his watch. Was already 10 p.m. Fifteen... maybe even twenty minutes of non-stop fighting. 

"Tired yet?" Suna mocked.

"As if," Akaashi chuckled as he wiped away his sweat, his chest rising and falling quickly. Akaashi went at Suna, pretending to go for a punch. Suna's arms were already raised to his chest.

There was one thing that Suna didn't cover.

Akaashi pulled his arm away quickly as he ran up, jumping up slightly as he spun his leg out, kicking Suna right across the face. Suna's arms dropped at the sudden impact. Akaashi took his momentum to spin once more, using his other leg to kick Suna down on the chest. Suna staggered to the floor, massaging his jaw in one hand.

"You...!" Suna yelled, patting his chest lightly as he crouched on the floor.

Akaashi bounced on the toes of his feet, "Like you said, I have strong legs."

"Hey! Why are you two leaving me out of the fun?"

Akaashi looked past Suna, seeing Tendou walk into view. The red-headed fighter started with a slow approach, but he soon walked faster. He started running, hopping over Suna as he went at Akaashi. 

Unlike Suna, Tendou seemed to be a kicker. 

Akaashi was pushed back as he blocked Tendou's strong kick with his arms. Tendou pushed against Akaashi and he jumped away, landing back on his feet. Akaashi sighed as he looked at Tendou. Suna stood up behind him.

Both of them stared at Akaashi like prey.

Akaashi cracked his fingers as they went at it again. The two immediately went for the legs. Akaashi barely managed to dodge that. Hit after hit, Suna and Tendou would land a blow, but never receive one. Akaashi would try to land something, anything, but their arms were always there to block Akaashi's punches and kicks. As time dragged on, his attacks became sloppier. Suddenly, Tendou went low and Suna went high. He wouldn't be able to block both of the hits in time.... his arms and legs were already getting heavier by the second.... 

As a last resort, Akaashi just dropped on the floor.

That was a mistake.

Combat fighters.... they would immediately take the floor once their opponent falls. The floor was Akaashi's worst enemy in battle.... he could fight on the ground, but only for a few minutes. His stamina was running low.... he needed to get back up, but it was too late. Akaashi grunted as he felt a crushing weight on him. His arms were pulled over his head as hands firmly pinned them down. 

Tendou had one foot on Akaashi's chest while the other was on one of his legs. Suna had somehow gotten to the opposite end of Tendou and had his arms pinned down. Akaashi tried to break away from Suna's grip, but Tendou applied more pressure to his chest.

"Easy there," Tendou murmured, "Do you want a broken chest bone? Those can cause some real damage..... unless you want to die quickly. If you want to die quickly, I can break your ribs. A punctured lung is better than a cracked chest, isn't it?"

"So?" Akaashi sneered, "How are you going to decide between yourselves? Should you kill each other first? That would make it way easier for us."

Suna chuckled, "I think _we_ have you to outnumbered."

There was the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards them. The clicks became louder as it got closer, soon stopping behind Suna. Akaashi could hear a gun being opened and bullets being placed inside.

"Shouldn't you back off?" Osamu muttered, "You Shiratorizawa ones are always so high and mighty. Go for the other one... now he'll be a challenge," he added with a mocking tone.

Tendou scoffed, "Please. An easy target is an easy soul to crush."

Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows as they started to bicker. His eyes widened slowly as he realized what they were talking about.

Oh.

 _Easy._

Was that who he was? Someone... easy? Was he really that inferior to the other agents?

Akaashi squeezed his eyes as more pressure was applied on his chest. He could hear the creaking of his bones. Akaashi tried once more to break from from Suna, but Tendou kept pressing against him. Suna tightened his grip, and Osamu loaded the gun for shooting. No. It was too early. He really couldn't be out this early....

"Akaashi!"

Heavy footsteps shook the floor as someone ran towards them. He knew that voice very well, but he didn't open his eyes. Akaashi already knew who it was. Soon, there was grunting and kicking. There were some shouts as Akaashi felt the relieved of the pressure. He knew he should be getting up. He knew that he should be jumping back into action. But....

He was so tired. Everything felt so heavy from the long fights. So tired....

"Akaashi!" 

His eyes snapped open at the louder yell. Bokuto was hovering over him, "Get up! You can't give up on me yet!" he shouted as he pulled Akaashi onto his feet by his arm. Bokuto patted Akaashi's shoulders and went back to fighting. 

It only took a matter of second for Bokuto to figure everything out. Suna didn't cover his head, so Bokuto pulled him in to headbutt him. As Suna backed up from the hard blow, Bokuto punched him across the face from left to right. Suna staggered down from all the wild hits. Bokuto soon turned to Tendou, eyeing his leg. Bokuto leaned back as Tendou went to kick, but he grabbed the man's leg. Bokuto swung him around and threw him down to the ground, a satisfying thud echoing out.

It took Akaashi so long to figure that out. He had been fighting those long rallies for... almost thirty minutes. Bokuto had ended them quickly within two or three minutes.

Ah.

He really was inferior. He really was that kind of agent.... he was...

Someone easy.

* * *

Bokuto's face fell at the sight of Akaashi looking so discouraged.

How long was he fighting alone? Maybe half an hour? He should be proud that he managed to keep these three under his hand for so long. Why was he so discouraged? 

"Akaashi... are you hurt somewhere?" he asked, lowering his caution for a moment.

Akaashi shook his head, "No. I'm fine."

Bokuto stared at all the bruises and cuts on Akaashi's face. He just stood there.... his hands twitching occasionally. Bokuto ignored the groans of Suna and Tendou. What happened...? He narrowed his eyes at Akaashi, but soon his attention was directed somewhere else.

"Watch out!" he yelled.

Akaashi turned around to face Osamu, who held a metal bat in his hands. Akaashi caught it as Osamu tried to slam it down on his head. Bokuto heard the other two behind him getting back up. Before he turned to face his opponents, he saw Akaashi's arms shaking as he forced himsefl to push against Osamu's weight.

Was it because he was tired?

"Give it up! Someone easy like you shouldn't be trying so hard!" Osamu yelled.

Oh.

_Easy._

Agents hated to be called someone easy. They despised being looked down upon by their enemies. For Akaashi.... it must have been insulting to be called easy. Bokuto had seen Akaashi fight before. He wasn't someone easy. Akaashi was someone who would keep fighting no matter what. Unless it was because he was getting tired or because of the pressure he felt going against three.... he didn't see why Akaashi would panic. 

Of course, pressure did do something to the mind. Akaashi could have felt responsible for losing, even though it was an unfair fight.

Bokuto took a deep breath in.

"Keiji!" he yelled, "Don't you dare give up! From anyone else... I'd expect their full effort. But from you?"

Akaashi glanced over at him, his arms still trembling slightly.

"I expect your one-hundred and twenty percent effort!"

A soft exhale came out of Akaashi's mouth. A smile appeared on his face. 

"Nothing less than that," Akaashi smiled.

Bokuto watched as Akaashi gathered all of his strength and pushed against Osamu's bat. Osamu's eyes widened at the sudden pushing. As Osamu tried to readjust, Akaashi twisted the bat away from him, gripping the bat and hitting Osamu across the head with the metal bat.

Osamu's eyes rolled back as he fell to the ground. Akaashi huffed and cracked his neck as he looked back at Bokuto.

Bokuto grinned as he turned to Suna and Tendou. Before they could even fight back, Bokuto planted strong hits on their stomachs, forcing them to crouch over. He then moved aside as Akaashi gripped the bat once more, striking the two across the heads. The two fell onto the ground, holding the back of their heads as they laid there. 

"Yes!" Bokuto cheered as he high fived Akaashi, "I knew you could do it."

"Well, I was the one who said we had to meet each other at the end," Akaashi pointed out, "We can't really do that if I gave up, right?"

Bokuto laughed, "That's right. I knew you'd get your head back up."

Akaashi nodded, "Thanks for believing in me," he said as he stared back at Tendou and Suna, "Those two still aren't down."

Suna and Tendou were still trying to get up. Osamu was out for sure, but those two seemed like they wouldn't give up. Bokuto glanced back at Akaashi. The agent was gently touching his own wounds. Did he need some time to ease the pain? Bokuto could still keep going, but there were plenty of people outside. The others needed help too.... there was an overwhelming amount of Yakuza members. 

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them!"

The two turned around as Hinata jogged up, "They really need more assistance on the first floor. More and more just keep coming. It's pretty much clear down the last two floors, so you can take it easy on your way down," he smiled.

"Will you be okay on your own?" Akaashi asked as he slung the bat over his shoulders.

"Alone? I'm not alone," Hinata simply stated. A few seconds later, Aone showed up from behind him, towering over them.

"He absolutely despises Tendou," Hinata continued, "When Kenma said who was up here, Aone immediately offered himself. Besides," Hinata said as his eyes darkened, "I'd love to teach Suna a little lesson for what he did to Kenma at the A.A." 

Bokuto nodded in approval, "That settles it then. We'll be off!"

Akaashi walked ahead as he talked into his communicator, "This is Agent Akaashi, I'm coming down to the first floor with Agent Bokuto for assistance. Anyone copy?"

He heard the crackling of the radio, "This is Agent Yaku, assistance would be very much appreciated. Caution while you arrive on the first floor, there's a mob of them in front of the staircase and elevator."

"Noted," Bokuto responded into his own communicator, "Be there soon."

Bokuto jogged in front of Akaashi, glancing behind him, "You good to go? Or do you need sometime to work some energy?"

"I was tired," Akaashi admitted, "But strangely... it's all gone now that I'm with you."

"Akaashi don't be so smooth with me right now!" Bokuto laughed, "Let's go finish this off, alright?"

Bokuto smiled as the two ran down the flights of stairs, preparing themselves to face the waves of Yakuza members at the first floor. They didn't have to worry about not meeting at the end. The two now had confidence that they would be able to make it through the night... together.

As they arrived at the bottom, the situation in the library was cleared. Hinata spoke into the mic as he reported the three syndicate members being tied down and knocked out. There was more crakcling through the mic as Kenma and Sawamura relayed instructions. 

At 10:20 p.m , Osamu, Tendou, and Suna were out.

Five minutes later, Kageyama was reported to be heading for the rooftop, for Kita had kept pushing him upwards to corner him.

The time now read 10:25 p.m. 


	54. Happier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rooftop.  
> 10:25 p.m.

Kageyama huffed as he pushed the door open to the rooftop. Footsteps were far behind him, but there were more than before. Kita must have requested for backup in order to finish him off quickly. The crisp wind slapped his face as he stepped further away from the door. 

The snowfall was heavy, but it was so beautiful. Snowflakes danced across the sky as the wind whipped them around, a few landing on Kageyama's cheeks and melting from the warmth of his body. From the top of Ushijima's eight story home, the bottom looked so far away. He could see the rest of the city from up here. It was a breathtaking view, but that wasn't something he should be taking in right now.

The door slammed open. Kageyama turned around, narrowing his eyes at Kita. 

Kita's smile was unwavering from the cold. Behind him, Atsumu, Sakusa, and Komori appeared. Komori glanced over Kita, a grave look across his face. He slightly shook his head at Kageyama. 

"Kageyama," Kita called out as he approached, "You've made a terrible mistake! Did you really think you could just live normally after you've gotten with us?"

The three people Kita brought along stood back as the leader ran up at Kageyama, snow landing on the metal prosthetic. Kageyama ducked as Kita went for his face, jabbing back at Kita's torso as he ducked. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kita coming back down with his right arm. Kageyama twisted away from Kita as the man tried to hit him low, stepping away to put some distance between them.

"You're the one who made the mistake!" Kageyama yelled, "You should have done away with me the moment you found out!"

Before Kageyama could brace himself, Kita was already in front of him. Kageyama's eyes widened as he felt himself falling off of his feet. His eyes scrunched up as Kita grabbed his face, shoving him down and making his body rattle against the cold ground. Kageyama clicked his tongue as he gripped Kita's arm, barely making Kita's hand hover over his face. He pushed all his weight against the metal, slowly getting back on his knees as he moved Kita's arm further away from him. 

Kita smirked, "If I just disposed of you right then and there.... this whole "war" would have been too easy. Way too easy. Not to mention, you're a target for us."

Kageyama's face scrunched up in concentration as he got back up on his feet, his hands still around Kita's arm. Kageyama glared at Kita, "I'm not your goal though," Kageyama replied. 

"Hm... no. Not on my list," Kita smiled, "But on his...." 

Kita twisted his arm away from Kageyama and grabbed him in a headlock. Kita forced Kageyama to look over at Atsumu. 

"He absolutely hates you," Kita murmured into his ear, "It's frustrating when your ex-soulmate is just in front of you.... and suddenly they climb the ladder to the leader faster than anyone else had. Don't you think he felt threatened that you would take his place someday? Why do you think he agree to letting you in?"

Kita shook his head as he looked at Atsumu, "I told him the night before that if he killed you on this day... I wouldn't kill Itachiyama kids. I wouldn't kill the people he got close to. More importantly, I wouldn't kill his love for who he dropped his soulmate for."

He let go of him and shoved Kageyama towards Atsumu, "I'm just warming you up for him. I have some priorities over a nobody like you."

Kageyama just watched as Kita walked away from the rooftop, "Have fun and... it was nice knowing you," Kita smirked as he went through the door, which Komori was holding open, "Atsumu... don't disappoint me."

As Kita descended down the stairs, Komori closed the door. The three Yakuza members stared at him intently. Kageyama backed away, his hand hovering over his gun as the three simply watched him.

"Like he said," Atsumu sighed as he licked his cracked lips, "Let's have some fun, Tobio-kun."

Kageyama leaned back as Atsumu swung at him. Technically, Kageyama had yet to fight Atsumu. He had knocked him over and out before, but that because Kita's metal arm hit him across the chest. This time, he really was going into a fight with Miya Atsumu.

It was about time.

Kageyama could feel heat rising to his ears as he watched Atsumu go in once more. Kageyama caught Atsumu's hook, firmly holding onto Atsumu's arm as he pulled Atsumu to him. Kageyama headbutted him right on the forehead, watching as Atsumu's face scrunched up. Kageyama then jabbed him in the gut by kneeing him, once more watching as a sour scowl appeared on Atsumu's face. The fight went on for a few more minutes, Kageyama hitting Atsumu once more before he grabbed his by the collar of his shirt. 

"Thank god you rejected me," Kageyama sneered, "I bet it would have hurt to feel what you're feeling."

Atsumu grabbed the arm that Kageyama was holding him with, "You should be thankful. If I hadn't done it, you wouldn't have gotten that monster ability. You haven't even noticed that your nose was bleeding when Kita grabbed your face."

The man twisted Kageyama's arm, the sudden movement making Kageyama lose his grip on Atsumu. Kageyama jumped away as Atsumu went for his legs. He took a moment to wipe his thumb across his nose. Sure enough, there was some dry blood flakes on it. Kageyama scowled. He looked back at Atsumu, who was still coming at him. 

"You're right," Kageyama yelled, "I am thankful. I hated it at first, but at least my pain won't get in the way of stopping you!"

He raised his arms to block Atsumu's punch. Atsumu left his fist on Kageyama's forearm, laughing a little. Those wild eyes looked up at him, a menacing gleam within them. 

"It may not hold you back," Atsumu smirked, "But you also don't know what's going to hit you."

Something was fired.

Kageyama stared blankly as he looked back at the door. Sakusa held up a gun, narrowing his eyes at Kageyama. Komori was next to him, but his eyes trembled as he stared at his direction. Where... where was he hit? He looked down at his legs. No, not there. Atsumu was too close to his chest and torso, so it couldn't be there.

His face?

Atsumu landed a strike across Kageyama's face as he zoned out. Kageyama backed up, quickly reaching up to pat his face. No... not his cheeks, not his eyes, not his nose, not his head....

Kageyama reached up to his right ear. When he brought his hand back down, there was that red iron smell. His ear. Did the bullet graze his ear? That meant that the shot was awfully close to his head. Sakusa must have missed. 

"I wonder," Atsumu pondered out loud, "How will you react if there's a bullet stuffed into your head?" 

Sakusa suddenly ran up to him, his face staying neutral as he got close. Kageyama clicked his tongue as he realized he wasn't ready to receive a hit. Sakusa kicked him down, the cold floor making contact with his back. Kageyama's eyes widened as he saw Sakusa raise his fist. He quickly rolled over, watching as Sakusa's fist hit the floor. Kageyama got back up on his feet, taking advantage of the position Sakusa was in. He went around and came up behind Sakusa, jumping on his back and wrapping his arm around his neck. Sakusa gave a yell of frustration as Kageyama pulled his to the ground, keeping a firm lock around his neck. Sakusa clawed at Kageyama's arm, trying to pry it away from himself.

"I told you... normal," Kageyama murmured as he used his other arm to hold back Sakusa's head, "Besides... you don't really want to be in the Yakuza anymore... do you?"

Kageyama watched as Sakusa's face twitched, "What?" he quietly asked.

"You have no idea what he does for you," Kageyama simply ended as he grabbed a tighter hold on Sakusa. The man's hands started to shake against Kageyama's arms.

"Omi-kun."

Kageyama looked up at Atsumu, who was hovering over them with a gun. Atsumu's eyes were darker as he stared at Kageyama.

"Move your head as much as you can," he murmured, raising the butt of the gun as high as he could. Sakusa jerked his head to the side, making a space wide open for Atsumu to land a blow directly on his head. If he let go of Sakusa right now, he would still get hit. If he just forced Sakusa back in front of him, Sakusa would just keep fighting back until there was a small crevasse for gun to hit him.

Was there a way out.... think, think! 

Kageyama squeezed his eyes tightly. If the first blow didn't get him, he could release Sakusa and move away before Atsumu went for a second. This was the only way. He kept his hold on Sakusa, waiting for some sort of sign that he was already being hit.

Nothing.

Kageyama opened his eyes and looked up at everyone. Sakusa stopped wriggling around. He was staring with wide eyes at what was above them

Komori's arm was holding Atsumu's back. Atsumu stared at Komori as the man was forcing his arm up, refusing to let Atsumu lower his gun at Kageyama. Komori's lips were pressed into a thin line. 

"I know it's far too late for me.... but Kageyama did nothing wrong," Komori hissed, "I'm not going to let Kageyama die just so that I can live. I know you'll do anything to protect Sakusa, so I'm sure he'll be fine even if Kageyama doesn't die. Me?" he asked with a choked laugh, "I'd die anyway."

Komori reached up with his other arm and grabbed the gun. He ripped it away from Atsumu and tossed it to the other side of the rooftop. 

"You're only keeping me around because I'm Sakusa's only family," he sadly continued, "Maybe you even think I'm getting in your way. Sure, Inarizaki is stronger with the both of us, but you just pretend to think that, don't you? You just said that to make a stronger point when Kita confronted you, but you really don't think that... do you?!"

The corner of Atsumu's lips turned into a snarl, "Ha! You're really accusing me of all that?"

"Don't lie just because he's here," Komori spat as he glanced towards Sakusa.

Atsumu face settled down. A calm look came across him.

"I did appreciate you for bringing Sakusa to me. Sakusa has a soft spot for you.... I can't bear to see him sad, so I could never harm you" he replied, "However.... you're betraying the Yakuza right now. That's a big code breaker."

Atsumu used his free arm to pull Komori's arm away from him, "You've been acting a little weird lately..... don't tell me that you've been planning this?"

Komori stepped back, "I wasn't.... but I can't stand to see the Yakuza ruin his life like you did to ours!"

"Ruin?" Atsumu laughed as he lunged at Komori, "That's far from the truth!"

Kageyama let go of Sakusa and pushed him aside. He quickly got back up to his feet, watching as Komori swiftly dodged Atsumu's attacks. 

The thirst for blood was in Atsumu's eyes.

Kageyama turned back to Sakusa, who was slowly getting back up. Sakusa's eyes were shaking as he stared at Atsumu and Komori fighting. His hands twitched, as if he wanted to do something to stop them. Sakusa look at Kageyama, thickly swallowing as he mouth opened. He tried to say something, but nothing came out.

"You know yourself better than anyone," Kageyama told him, "What are you going to do? What's going to make you happier?"

Kageyama left Sakusa with that question as he ran back to support Komori.

He hoped that Sakusa would realize that it wasn't too late for him to change.

* * *

Komori watched as Atsumu's anger poured out on him. Swing after swing, Atsumu didn't even stop to take a breath of air. Komori wasn't great at combat fighting.... if Atsumu dragged this on, Komori wouldn't be able to hang on! They were already getting close to the edge of the building.... he had to force Atsumu back!

Atsumu's arms were suddenly pulled back. Atsumu shouted out of anger, turning his head slightly to look at Kageyama. The agent yanked Atsumu's arms back as he bashed his head once more on the back of Atsumu's head.

A small amount of spit came out of Atsumu's mouth as it widened, a choked gasp coming out. Atsumu furrowed his eyebrows deeply and stared angrily at Komori. Komori watched as Kageyama knocked Atsumu down, holding both of his arms behind his back. Kageyama swiftly pulled out a pair of handcuffs, clipping them around Atsumu's wrists. 

"This is Agent Kageyama, I've got Miya Atsumu and the rogue Itachiyama agents up at the rooftop. Requesting police for transport, anyone copy?" he spoke into his communicator, his free hand pressed against the button.

Komori stared back at Sakusa, who was slowly walking over. His hands twitched slightly, but his eyes were covered with worry.

He probably wanted to free Atsumu.

"Not yet!" Atsumu yelled as he started to shake. Kageyama's eyes widened as Atsumu used all his force to throw Kageyama off. Kageyama barely landed a few inches away from the ledge, catching himself before he tilted the wrong way. Atsumu brought his legs up, first rising on his knees and then standing up completely. 

His eyes were blazing at Komori, "You didn't even try to stop him..... you really are a damned traitor!" 

As Atsumu approached him, Komori stepped back.

One too many steps.

The floor beneath him disappeared. His eyes widened at he felt himself falling back. Atsumu's face flashed with shock for a moment, his pupils shrinking as he saw Komori get further away. Kageyama had ran up, extending his hand to to Komori. He tried to reach out....

His finger barely brushed Kageyama's.

Komori looked up at the falling snow, the white glittering slightly as his vision blurred.

This was it.

At least.... he managed to get away from that hell. 

At least he wouldn't get in the way of Atsumu and Sakusa's relationship. 

He would finally be....

Free.

* * *

Confusion was a funny thing.

There would be times when Sakusa would be laying down with Atsumu, some sort of feeling coursing through his veins. He would be smiling at him, leaning against a tender yet rough touch. He would be pleased within the presence of the person he loved. He wanted to be with him for as long as he could.....

That was the start and middle.

As time went on, as years passed, Sakusa was exposed to the ugly sides of the Yakuza. Sometimes, he would see someone be murdered so brutally.....

And Atsumu would still have a grin on his face, even if it was an innocent being who simply bumped against a members shoulders. So many people died for such pathetic reasons. There were times blood would stay on Sakusa's face after Atsumu would cup his face once he killed someone in such a cruel way. He may be a hypocrite, since he killed many, but even that bit him back in the mind. 

There were times Sakusa had nightmares about their killing spree. He would feel the ghost hands of past agents choking him in his sleep. Sakusa would wake up in a cold sweat and tremble from how realistic it felt. 

But when he told Atsumu about it.... he simply took it as a silly once in a time thing.

Sakusa didn't retort.

When he found out that he was going to die after the Shiratorizawa war, there were chills crawling up his spine. Atsumu hid it from him for such a long time. Maybe it was because he had faith that he could save Sakusa. 

That thought was sweet enough to cover the ugliness for a while. He just covered up all the flaws with all the good memories. 

After a while though.... Sakusa had remembered something.

His mark. 

It never did heal.The little broken heart was still there. He would graze the mark when he was alone.... sometimes remembering how Komori had the same little broken heart over his original mark.

Everything flooded back.

The warm times they had in the academy, the few they had at the agency before everything went down...

The times when Komori would helpn him.... so endearingly, as he helped Sakusa get together with Atsumu. Even though he knew that their marks told them not to fall in love... Komori didn't hesitate to help him. He didn't leave his side.

He stayed no matter what.

When Sakusa looked at Komori, there would be a sharp pain within him. He would barely manage a strained smile when Komori caught his eyes. The man would just smile back and wave nicely. Even as the pain drilled into him, he was still so....

Comforting. Warm. Kind.

Caring.

He was such a good person. He was too good. He was too good of a person and Sakusa was hurting him.

At one point, Sakusa couldn’t take it any longer. He went up to Komori's dorm and expressed all his worries. He expressed what he had been feeling for the past month, and Komori just watched as he spoke. 

But there was still feelings for Atsumu.

Komori shook his head and told Sakusa to stay with Atsumu. He had a point... Sakusa still loved Atsumu, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling that god awful guilt whenever he looked at Komori. 

He didn't want to hurt the only person he could call family.

Sakusa cried his heart out. He knew how much Komori hated to see that, but he did it anyways. That warmth mixed with despair seeped within him as Komori comforted him. He could practically feel his mark digging deeper into him.... warning him once more of it is to come. 

But Komori stopped him, telling him that he was still with Atsumu. That it was okay to be happy.... even if it did hurt him in return. Even if he did had to go back to being a disappointment towards their family lineage. 

Sakusa started to cry out of frustration once more.... what should he do? What should he do?

He listened to Komori.

Sakusa took the logical way. He still loved Atsumu.... he would stay with him. Even if that guilt slapped him in the back of his head, he still loved and knew Atsumu. He could ignore all those nightmares and flaws, just until it would all end. As he left Komori's dorm, he could hear Komori's frustration behind the door.

Of course he would be hurting. Sakusa squeezed his eyes at that though.... he couldn't do anything. He had to sort himself out before he did anything more.

As more time went on, Sakusa was back to being pleased with the simple presence of Atsumu.

The only difference was that his smiles.... were forced.

For some reason, Sakusa couldn't find himself smiling at Atsumu any longer. There were still lingering feelings for him thought. He would kiss, he would talk, and he would do everything with Atsumu, but there was no spark. No light.

He only found his natural smile when he was away from him.

So now, as Sakusa watched Atsumu and Komori fight, he panicked. He had to do something! He had to make up his mind!

_"You don't really want to be in the Yakuza anymore... do you?"_

_"He's done so much for you."_

_"What's going to make you happier?"_

He still had lingering feelings for Atsumu.... they were still there. Maybe hanging by a few threads, but they were still there. Komori.... his best friend, his family... the one who was always there for him! Sakusa's hands started to twitch. Do something! You pathetic coward!

He started to walk over as Kageyama handcuffed Atsumu.... should he save him or let Kageyama take him away?

Maybe he should help-

"Not yet!"

Sakusa's eyes widened.

It all happened so quickly.

At one moment, Atsumu was on the ground and Komori was standing. The next minute, Atsumu had forced Komori too far back. Komori's eyes widened as the ground of the rooftop went away from him. He extended his hand for help, but Kageyama couldn't hold on.

_Snap._

Something within him finally broke. Everything he had with Komori came flooding back in again...

Sakusa's body moved on it's own. 

He ran past Atsumu. He ran past Kageyama.

He jumped over the ledge, falling as he extended his arms out to Komori. His hand touched Komori's, and Sakusa pulled Komori into him, wrapping himself tightly around him. He had one hand protecting Komori's head, while the other held onto his waist.

The world halted.

Everything seemed to be going in reverse as the slowly fell. The snow flakes went upwards, such beautiful and chilling works of art floating among them. Sakusa could hear Komori's breaking voice.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled, "Sakusa... we're going to-!"

Sakusa looked ahead of him as the parked cars got closer. He squeezed his eyes tightly. 

"Let's live a happier life from now on... okay?"

Komori didn't respond. He just wrapped his arms around Sakusa's head and torso, tighter than ever before.

Even in this situation, it was still warm.

"As long as it makes you happy," Komori softly replied, closing his eyes. 

There was a loud crash. Everything became muffled. There were faded screams and shouting. Someone screamed frantically what time was it and where the nearest hospital was. People were coming towards them.... maybe the agents? No... he heard the opening of stretchers. Did Kageyama call them?

Everything was burning. His whole body was on fire. He couldn't move.....

Sakusa barely managed to open one of his eyes. The car was dented and glass was everywhere, blood pooling beneath them. Komori's eyes were closed, but there was still some soft breathing. A single tear slid down his face.

Sakusa felt his eyelids getting heavy.... he would be out soon.

A smile rested on his face.

Finally.

At approximately 10:45 p.m., he was finally... and truly...

Happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always thought, I might be bad  
> Now I'm sure that it's true 'cause,  
> I think you're so good, and I'm nothing like you.  
> Look at you go, I just adore you!  
> I wish that I knew....  
> What makes you think I'm so special?  
> If I could begin to do, something that does right by you...  
> I would do about anything  
> I would even learn....  
> How to love.  
> \- Love Like You (Steven Universe)


	55. You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There you are.

Daichi ran up the stairs after he heard Kageyama's report. Iwaizumi and Terushima ran behind him as he pushed the door open to the rooftop. There were faded shouts from down below, cars opening as people were being transported to a hospital. A few minutes ago, Sakusa and Komori had fallen from the roof. Kageyama had called for medical assistance immediately, so they could only hope that the two weren't dead. Even if they were ex-agents... they still had to face their crimes.

They came up here to collect the other half of the twins.

There were two people kneeling on the floor. Kageyama struggled to hold Miya Atsumu back. The right hand of the Yakuza was screaming, his eyes red as he fought against Kageyama. 

"Let me go!" Atsumu yelled, "I-... I have to go!"

Daichi gestured to Iwaizumi. For the ones who kept giving a fight, they brought sedatives. Iwaizumi jogged up to Kageyama, soon crouching down and taking hold of Atsumu. He took reached out to his pocket and took out a capped syringe. Kageyama used one of his free arms to prep it, then he handed it back to Iwaizumi. Atsumu didn't stop screaming as Iwaizumi tilted his head to the side.

"Take it easy," Iwaizumi murmured to him as he injected the sedative, "They'll be alright. You have somewhere else to be."

Daichi watched as Kageyama loosened his grip. Atsumu's screams started to die down, but he continued to weakly struggle. 

"No... no yet," Atsumu talked more softly, "No... no... Kiyoomi..."

Atsumu slumped over Kageyama. Terushima walked over, crouching down to take a look at Atsumu.

"I guess the rumors were true," Terushima talked out loud as he took Atsumu away from Kageyama, carrying him in his arms, "Sakusa and Atsumu really did have something between each other."

Iwaizumi got back up, glancing towards Kageyama, "You good?" he asked. 

Kageyama slowly got back up, "Yeah. I'm fine-"

The agent wobbled as he tried to walked forward. Kageyama furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he tried to balance himself. Daichi shook his head, "Kageyama.... you didn't happen to get hit in the head, did you?"

"I did..."

Daichi glanced towards Terushima, "Take him down with you. He might collapse sooner or later."

"Roger that," Terushima replied, "C'mon Kageyama."

Kageyama frowned, "But-!"

"No buts!" Daichi firmly told him, "If you used your head or got hit by Kita before he left, you may have a concussion or something worse. You've done enough by getting Atsumu. Sit out.... that's an order."

Kageyama tried to retort again, but Terushima quickly nudge him towards the door. Reluctantly, Kageyama followed Terushima slowly down the stairs. Iwaizumi and Daichi were following behind them, looking around for anyone who could possibly attack them. Before Kageyama called in, Suga and Yamaguchi reported that they had already caught Aran Ojiro, another member of the Inarizaki inner circle. Everyone in the Yakuza's inner circle was caught early on.

All that was left was Kita Shinsuke himself.

As for Shiratorizawa.... Reon, Semi, and Goshiki were left. Shirabu was somewhere... but it was likely that they had him hidden away since he can't fight very well in his state. Ushijima was roaming around as well. 

"Floor four!" a voice crackled in his ear, "Come to the fourth floor!" 

Daichi looked over at Iwaizumi, "You on?"

"The faster we finish this, the less damage we'll get," Iwaizumi nodded, "Let's go!"

Terushima and Kageyama moved aside for the two. They ran down the stairs, halting as they arrived at the fourth floor. There was a space between the stairs and the door. Daichi held his hand up, pulling out his gun from the holster. Someone could be waiting for them on the other side. Daichi stood on one side of the door while Iwaizumi stood on the other. 

There was some crashing and running around. Daichi could hear Suga shouting some words to whoever else was there. 

Iwaizumi gestured to Daichi to open the door. He stood up straight and took a few steps away from door. Daichi took a deep breath in before he charged at the door, pushing it open with the side of his body. The door quickly swung open. Daichi ran in and gripped his gun, looking around at the scene. 

Suga was on the floor, wrestling Semi down. Goshiki and Reon had teamed up on Yamaguchi, keeping him away from the two who stood out the most.

Oikawa and Ushijima.

The two were fighting fiercely in the far corner. Oikawa's face was bruised, but he had a nasty scowl on his face as he grabbed Ushijima by the collar of his shirt. Oikawa clenched his fist and hit Ushijima across the face. Once, twice, three times...

Ushjima clenched his jaw and glared at Oikawa. He was barely fazed by it.

"Let's help Yamaguchi," Iwaizumi said, "Oikawa can handle Ushijima. We don't have time to watch!"

Daichi tore his eyes away from the fight as he ran towards Yamaguchi and the two Shiratorizawa members. Daichi narrowed his eyes at Reon as he put away his gun. He jumped towards Reon, kicking him away from Yamaguchi. Iwaizumi would handle Goshiki with Yamaguchi. 

"Remember me?" Daichi smiled as he stood a few feet away from Reon, "You pushed me down the stairs that day."

Reon smirked, "How I wish I could do it again."

They must have been fighting for a while before Daichi and Iwaizumi got here. Reon's face was shining with sweat. Suga probably asked for backup since he was worried about the stamina of the others. 

Daichi watched as Reon came towards him. His steps were slow and heavy. He was definitely tired. Yamaguchi must have been giving them a hard time before he got cornered. Daichi faked going high, quickly swooping down. He grappled Reon by the waist, slamming him down on the floor. Reon landed on his back harshly, a choked cough coming out of his mouth. Daichi twisted him onto his stomach, reaching for a pair of handcuffs. Daichi managed to cuff Reon. 

"Under arrest," Daichi huffed out, "I thank Yamaguchi for buying us time."

Reon gave an annoyed grunt as he wriggled under Daichi's grip. Daichi looked over to Iwaizumi, who had Goshiki pressed against the wall. He was proceeding to restrain him. Suga gave out a yell as he landed a solid blow on Semi's head. The man finally slumped onto the floor. 

"That took way too many head hits!" Suga complained, "Head of steel... scary."

Good. This was good... just one more-

"Injury! Bokuto's down! I'm taking him to the medical personnel, do you copy?!" Akaashi yelled through the mic.

"How severe?" Daichi replied as he looked toward the door.

"He got stabbed in the shoulder," Akaashi reported, "It's a pretty deep wound and it's on his dominant arm. The situation down here is almost cleaned, only a few strays left. You guys have to watch out though.... _he_ might be coming for you!" 

"Was it... him who did that to Bokuto?" Daichi asked as there was some noise coming from the other side of the door. 

"Yes."

The door slowly opened.

KIta's hazel eyes were flaming on the edges, an eerie glow over them. 

"Kita.... he's looking for Ushijima," Akaashi ended, "Stay safe."

There was the quiet crackle of the radio in his ear. Daichi forcefully dragged Reon to the wall where Goshiki was slumped over. Iwaizumi stored another empty syringe in his pocket. He handed one to Daichi, later lowering his hands to his gun. 

Oikawa and Ushijima had stopped fighting. Ushijima's attention completely dropped away from Oikawa as he turned to face Kita.

Kita grinned.

"There you are."

* * *

Kita breathed heavily as he looked at Ushijima. That fight with that one agent... it wasn't that bad. It actually made him tired! It was like an improved version of Kageyama's fighting combined with Suna's defense. Best fight all day. Those other low ranking agents were so easy to wipe out. Such a shame... such a waste. That agent would have thrived in the crime field with his skills.

Too bad he stabbed him.

Kita had to get to his main goal. He threw out the idea of hurting the others soulmates the moment he heard three of his close circle members were out. Instead, he had been searching for that one person after he left Kageyama.

Then he heard that Sakusa and Komori fell off the roof. Typical. He knew that wouldn't last, but Atsumu still held on. Atsumu must have been taken out since he would have been... emotional. Ojiro was also taken out...

He was the last one left.

As he stood in front of the door to the fourth floor, Kita felt anger rising within him, strands of exhaustion seeping out of him.

He had lost so much... he couldn't afford to lose this time. He opened the door slowly.

Ah.

He stood at the door frame, grinning as he saw who he was looking for.

"There you are," he called out as Ushijima dropped his fight. Ushijima stared at Kita as he walked forward. The agents in the room backed into the walls, pointing their guns at Kita and Ushijima. He stared at the other Shiratorizawa members, all beat up and knocked out. Kita laughed a little.

"Looks like you're the only strong one," Kita noted as he tapped his chin, "It's just us leaders now." 

"That's all that's needed," Ushijima growled as he took a stance, "Do you want to repeat history?"

Kita narrowed his eyes, "No. I'm not planning to lose...."

Ushijima lunged at him, recoiling his arm back to hit him.

How funny.

Kita caught the strong punch, holding Ushijima's fist in his right arm. Ushijima tried to push against it, but Kita's arm didn't budge. Ushijima stared at the arm up and down, then glaring back at Kita.

"Not like last time," Kita taunted. 

Kita forced Ushijima down onto the floor, a steady grip on Ushijima's clenched fist as he pushed and pushed against it. He then used his other hand to catch Ushijima's other fist, which Ushijima had tried to hit him with. He shoved Ushijima flat onto the ground.

"This is for insulting the Yakuza!" he yelled as he punched Ushijima across the face with his right arm, holding him down with his left. He didn't give Ushijima the chance to lift his arms. A cut appeared on Ushijima's face.

"And this is for my fallen members!"

Another strike across the face. More cuts appeared. He gave out more punches, back and forth while switching from arm to arm. He took in a deep breath... he was getting a little too excited...

"And this... is for my arm!" he screamed, a flood of anguish coming over him for a split second. He grabbed fistfuls of Ushijima's shirt as he pulled the man towards him, headbutting him forcefully. He let go of the shirt and shoved Ushijima back down. The man's eyes were moving sluggishly. Oikawa must have drained some of his power. Kita shook his head. 

"After I've finished you," he quietly muttered, "I'm going to send you a gift to hell. You'll get to see him while you're down there, don't worry. I'll be sure Shirabu takes a nice funeral wreath with him when he's gone."

Kita's eyes widened as the words left his mouth on their own.

Why....

Why did that have to come out of his mouth?

He should have learned that mentioning Shirabu in a fight...

Would always end terribly.

Ushijima's eyes flared open. He suddenly grabbed Kita's right arm, pushing it upwards and sitting up. Ushijima eyed something on it, reaching over with his other hand and twisting something. A gasp threatened to leave Kita's mouth as he realized what Ushijima was trying to do. Kita frantically tried to force away Ushijima's hand, but he soon heard the familiar pop and twist that he heard every night when he went to bed.

The attachment piece that kept his arm on his body. 

Kita's eyes widened as Ushijima started to punch against the metal. It must have gotten caught on the other bolts. Kita grabbed Ushijima by the neck with his left arm, but the man was unfazed by the squeezing pressure. He kept hitting and thrashing at the arm....

Until, there was a hard clatter on the floor.

Kita had never felt more exposed in his life. There was a draft where his right arm would have been.

"The Yakuza is nothing without you," Ushijima eerily whispered, "And now... you're nothing without that arm." 

No. 

He couldn't give up.

Not now!

Kita yelled as he pushed Ushijima back down, his hand still against Ushijima's neck. He put all of his force into his left arm, not budging it once bit. Ushijisma reached up to strangle Kita, but he didn't back down. He pressed harder and harder... come on! Just die already! Ushijima's eyelids were twitching... just a little bit more! 

"Break them up!" 

Kita was suddenly pulled off of Ushijima, pairs of arms restraining his legs and his one arm. Kita could feel his neck being exposed as his head was forced to the side. Kita watched as the agents tried to restrain Ushijima, but the man still had strength left in him. No. He couldn't just let him get away like that!

"You've done enough," an agent told him as a he felt a prick, "It's over."

"You... you.. mother fu-!" Kita wanted to yell, but he felt such a rush of drowsiness over him. His scowl died down as his vision started to blur. How... how could his legacy end like this? The Yakuza was going to end like this while the mafia went on?

At the last second, Kita watched as Ushijima broke away from the agents, running past everyone and out the door.

Dammit....

Kita's eyes closed on their own. He thought they've gotten stronger. He thought that he would have won this time around. Who knew that even the mere thought of a soulmate dying was enough to flare someone up.... of course, he wouldn't have known. He never had to protect someone he loved....

Maybe that's what he was missing. A decent purpose.

Maybe revenge wasn't enough. Maybe it wasn't a good enough purpose for him. Perhaps the world had it's own way of telling Kita what his fate was. Maybe the world was telling him that no one was ready for him yet. It didn't matter though.... he was going to be arrested. His body can't fight against sedatives. Everyone else... Osamu, Atsumu, Suna... they were all going to be sentenced. Kita forced himself to open his eyelids. A blurred image of his metal arm was far away. The his gaze fell onto his left hand. 

The ring his grandmother gave him...

Oh... she would be so disappointed if she saw him like this. 

A dying laugh weakly came out of his mouth.

_Ah._

_Shinsuke.... you really are just a weakling from the little ol' Yakuza._

_At least you didn't lose another arm. At least... you gave it your all. You'll be able to do something if you happen to cross paths with Ushijima again. Yeah... just save energy for later... that will do just fine._

_That will do._

His eyes closed... and this time they didn't open back up. His body slumped against the arms of the agents. 

11:04 p.m.

The Inarizaki Yakuza had fallen.

* * *

_"Ushijima is heading to the fifth floor. We have our hands tied up with transportation... is anyone up there?!"_

"I'll take care of it," he replied as he looked out the balcony window of the fifth floor. It was just an empty space... as if it were a training room or some sort of small dance hall. He stared at the small snowflakes that stuck to the window.

"Tsukki? No...!" he heard someone yell, "He's after you! Get out of there-"

"Yamaguchi," he calmly replied, "I'll be fine."

"I'm going to ask Kenma to send someone.... Tsukki be careful!" 

The radio crackled as Yamaguchi left the line.

Tsukishima turned away from the window and stared at the doors. Elevator or stairs? Which one is your pick?

The door to the stairway swung open. Tsukishima eyes narrowed as he looked across at the one who wanted him dead the most.

Ushijima was breathing heavily, but a smile still appeared on his face. The smile left as quickly as it came, a stoic and unwavering face replacing it. His eyes however....

Were filled with fury.

A single word sent chills down his spine. As Ushijima's outstretched arm pointed at him, the man uttered that word so softly, but it sounded so loud to Tsukishima's ears. Ushijima's lips curled into an angry snarl as he opened his mouth. A statement was condensed into a single word...

_I've finally found..._

**"You."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "At your absolute best... you won't be good enough for someone or something. At your worst... you'll be just enough. Hang in there. Someday... you'll find a good purpose in life."
> 
> (What Kita's grandma told him the day she gave him the ring).


	56. Bang.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 11:05 p.m.

**"You."**

Tsukishima pushed his glasses up as Ushijima stood tall by the entrance. Tsukishima cracked his neck, walking closer to the center of the room. Ushijima sighed heavily, unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves and rolling them up. Tsukishima took a deep breath in as he stopped in the middle of the room. Ushijima kept his gaze on Tsukishima as he rubbed his hands, slowly making his way to the center. 

"Where have you been this whole time?" Ushijima asked, stopping a few feet away from him, "I was worried you'd be dead."

"Dead? Me?" Tsukishima chuckled, "I was busy collecting the rest of your little gang up. Had to warm up somehow, right?"

Ushijima looked down at his own hands, "I've been ready for this," he replied, showing his bruised and bloody knuckles. 

From the outside, the howling wind was shivering against the windows.

Ushijima reached to his shirt pocket and pressed something, "Are you watching... Shirabu? I'm going to break this man's legs for what he did."

Tsukishima looked around the room. He squinted his eyes as he spotted a few glowing dots in the corners of the room. Cameras... Shirabu must have been conducting the Shiratorizawa members around.

He turned his attention back to Ushijima. The man took a fighting stance as he glared at him. Tsukishima took his stance, extending one arm out to Ushijima as he gestured to the leader with his hand. _"Come at me"._

No hesitation required.

Ushijima lunged at him, his arm extended out to grab Tsukishima. Wait. Just wait till he gets a little bit closer. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes as Ushijima's fingers barely brushed his shirt. There!

Tsukishima stepped back, adding a small amount of distance between him and Ushijima. He then quickly moved to the side, watching as Ushijima stumbled slightly from Tsukishima's sudden movement. As Ushijima tried to catch his footing, Tsukishima then moved behind him, coming to a full one-eighty. He kicked Ushijima down, landing a solid strike on the very center of Ushijima's back. The man took a knee, but he quickly got back up and turned to face Tsukishima.

"A tease, huh?" Ushijima scowled, "Baiting me into that.... feels familiar."

Tsukishima arms came up quickly as Ushijima swung at him, the fist hitting right on his forearm where his mark was. Tsukishima could feel fading burns on his body. Geez... this was going to bite Kuroo pretty badly. 

Ushijima rapidly recovered himself, swinging low and hitting Tsukishima side in repeated movements. One, two, three, four... Tsukishima's face scrunched up. A grunt came out of him, but Tsukishima wouldn't allow himself to slow down. Tsukishima arm went down and back up, strongly hitting Ushijima on the jaw. Ushijima hissed at the impact, one or two flecks of blood coming out of his mouth. He bit his tongue too hard. A small smirk came onto Tsukishima's face.

Ushijima backed away for a moment, "You always go for the things that give a hard impact. Is that why you shot the stove that day?" he muttered.

"It was the only way out," Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, "I didn't expect your fiance to get caught under the fire. More importantly, I didn't expect the fire to travel so quickly. Wooden floors up above... I didn't thought of it."

"So was it your intention to kill?!" Ushijima yelled.

Tsukishima shook his head, "If you know Birds of Prey by now... we want all of you alive. I believe... it is far too late to re-compensate what happened though. Even if I did get on my knees and apologize, you would still want me dead."

Ushijima gave a small chuckle, "Glad you know your place."

The fight resumed. Ushijima appeared in front of his eyes in a split second. Tsukishima's eyebrows furrowed deeply as he leaned his body to the right side, Ushijima's fist barely brushing across his left cheek. Tsukishima stared at Ushijima's arm that was hanging in the air. He grabbed a firm hold on the arm as he leaned back to face Ushijima directly. His nails dug into the exposed skin, pulling Ushijima towards him and grabbing his other arm. Tsukishima allowed himself to fall back, taking Ushijima down with him. Tsukishima could feel his lip curling in concentration as he twisted with the fall, moving just in time to that Ushijima would be below him. 

"How the tables turn," Tsukishima quietly said as a stared down at Ushijima, watching for any movements. Tsukishima's arms shot up to catch Ushijima's fists, his hands curling around them as he pushed back. Ushijima's face was crumpled into anger as his fists unfurled slightly, suddenly moving over Tsukishima's hands. Ushijima's fingers pressed hard against his hands...

_Crack._

Ushijima pressed down forcefully on his ring and pinky fingers. A hissed seethed through Tsukishima's teeth as he felt a blooming pain. A small streak of blood went down his palm and onto Ushijima's hand. Their arms shook against each other, but Tsukishima's hand was zapping and twitching from the split. Ushijima's arms started to lurch forward. Tsukishima had to do something before he got on top of him....

His lips sneered into a scowl as he ripped his hands away from Ushijima's, falling to his side. Bad move. Ushijima fell onto his back once more, but he quickly turned around on the floor to face Tsukishima. Ushijima rolled and elevated next to him as he tried to get up. Ushijima was now crouching as he grabbed Tsukishima's shoulders. He had a sour face on as he tried to wrangle Tsukishima down. Tsukishima grappled Ushijima as he managed to get onto his level, the two scuffling around as the pushed against each other. 

"What is this, the WWE?! UFC?!" Tsukishima yelled, sweat sliding down his face. The two had gotten leverage on each other, grasping and digging into each other as they tried to force one another back onto the floor. They were still pretty low... if Tsukishima could knock Ushijima off of his feet and onto his stomach, then he could cuff him from behind and knock him out-

His train of thought bursted as Ushijima suddenly let go as Tsukishima pushed again. Tsukishima watched as the ground got closer. Ushijima had quickly moved away from in front of him, and he could feel Ushijima's presence behind him...

Damn.

The moment Tsukishima hit the floor, Ushijima planted his hand on the back of his head, forcing it down. Part of his hand was on his neck, restricting Tsukishima movements. Tsukishima could feel a knee on his back as well, while the other leg was pressing one of his arms against his side. Tsukishima clicked his tongue. The floor... your best friend or worst enemy. He should have kept the fight standing!

"Unfortunately, the WWE or UFC wouldn't allow weaponry in fights," Ushijima sighed, "This isn't that though."

Tsukishima's eye twitched as he heard a knife being pulled out of a sheath, "Oh? You're going to stab me?" Tsukishima gave a slight laugh, trying to push back up with his free arm. No use... almost all of Ushijima's weight was against him.

"Slice... I'll let you suffer slowly," Ushijima murmured. 

This was bad... no. Don't think like that. Reevaluate your position....

He felt a draft of cold air as Ushijima raised his free arm, gripping the knife.

Think.. think...!

Suddenly the elevator dinged.

Tsukishima's eyes widened. RIght... Yamaguchi called in for backup. Bokuto was out of commission, Akaashi had gone with him to the medics, everyone else was transporting and finishing off the last of the henchmen.

He heard the door slide open, "Hey! I don't remember anyone calling for room service up here, but it look like someone needs help."

A small laugh came out of Tsukishima's mouth. Even in these kinds of situations...

He heard footsteps rapidly coming towards. A weight was lifted off of him as Ushijima was ripped away from him. Tsukishima quickly got back up turning to face that familiar voice. A smirk appeared on his face.

Kuroo stood against Ushijima, his arm holding back the hand Ushijima had the knife in.

"Tsukishima.... I thought you promised not to get hurt," Kuroo rolled his eyes playfully. His gaze lowered to look down at Tsukishima's hand, which was still letting out small amount of blood. Tsukishima held his hand as he look back at Kuroo. Agh... it was starting to sting more than before. He couldn't back down now though. Tsukishima ignored the pain as he shook his head.

"Haha, very funny," he grumbled, "It could have been worse."

Just a little more.

They were almost there.

If they could take Ushijima down right now... 

They would be able to finish the mission by midnight with no major complications.

* * *

He held on quite well for being on his own. 

Kuroo looked back at Ushijima as his arm shook against Kuroo's. Tsukishima's fingers were broken, but the adrenaline rush from the fight must've muted the pain for a while. Kuroo felt heat rising to his cheeks. Dammit. If he kept trying to fight, Tsukishima's hand could become worse. If it took Kuroo's hand to heal that long, Tsukishima could definitely end up worse if he overworked it.

"Tsukishima! Go. You can't let your hand-"

Suddenly Ushijima's arm came down. Kuroo's eyes widened as the knife got awfully close to his face-

**_Slice._ **

Kuroo's vision suddenly went haywire. He dropped his grip on Ushijima's and yelled, backing up as he held his hand against his left eye. It stung... it was burning so badly. He tried to open his eye back up, but it would only twitch in response. He took his hand away from his face...

That iron red smell was stronger than ever.

Kuroo watched fuzzily as Ushijima lunged back to Tsukishima. The blond looked pissed, his left eyelid twitching slightly. The grabbed and twisted the arm in which Ushijima held the knife, knocking it away from Ushijima's grip. A look a pain came across Tsukishima's face as he Ushijima harshly grabbed his right hand into a fist. Kuroo just couldn't stand there... he could worry about his eye later.

He ran towards the two, the sight from his right eye being his only source of vision. Ushijima whipped his head around as Kuroo spun and jumped at him. Spin kick. It would be slightly off, but it still made a good impact. Ushijima stumbled back near the doors to the balcony. Tsukishima held onto his hand tightly, trying to stop the bleeding from his hand. A small scowl was on his face.

Kuroo shook his head as he ran back to Ushijima, ignoring the stinging pain in his left eye. He tried to punch Ushijima across the face, but his distance was off ever so slightly. Ushijima grabbed his fist and shoved him back, creating more and more distance between them. Ushijima reached into his back pocket.... something suddenly flashing out and-

Kuroo felt a sharp sting in his leg. He staggered to one knee as he looked down, another dagger being buried into his leg. Damn! Ushijima did knife-throwing? Since when?! 

"Enough!" Ushijima bellowed, "If I can't get him... then you'll suffice."

Kuroo tried to get back up, but the dagger was deeper than it seemed. Ushijima had a powerful throw... and the injury on his eye was starting to make affect his balance and accuracy. He shook his head furiously. No! 

He heard a gun trigger being reset...

No.

Kuroo managed to stagger back onto his legs as he stood straight, facing Ushijima. He wanted to lurch forward and stop him..!

But his injured leg wouldn't move.

Kuroo watched as Ushijima pointed the gun right at him. Kuroo squeezed his eye shut, the pain overtaking his body. He could feel a burning sensation in his right hand.... Tsukishima... he could still run for it. As long as Tsukishima was still alive...

He would still feel a sliver of happiness if he stayed alive.

"You fought well.... it's a shame... but it must be done."

One.

Two. 

Three.

_Click._

**Bang.**


	57. Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Burn.

The gun shot echoed throughout the room. There was a small little clatter as an empty bullet shell fell, the actual bullet being lodged into someone. Kuroo could smell the smoke that came out of the barrel, his eyes squeezing so hard and blood dripping down his face. There was a burning sensation near his ribs...

It wasn't his own pain.

His right eye flew open as he felt the burn become more intense. No. He didn't... 

He did.

In the distance between Kuroo and Ushijima, Tsukishima stood tall. His hands shook at his side, the streaks of blood smearing his right hand not comparing to the blood that dripped onto the floor. His frame shook as he staggered onto his knees, his left arm clutching the bullet wound.

"I-... I'm your target," Tsukishima quietly spoke, "Don't drag him into your remorse."

"Tsukki...."

"Don't let me slow you down," Tsukishima sharply told Kuroo, his head turning slightly to look at him. His nose was twitching and his eyes were shaking slightly, "Go."

The burn licked the edges of Kuroo's torso, becoming deeper and deeper. He could feel his eyes sting as Tsukishima wobbly got up, slowly dragging himself to the nearest wall. Kuroo watched as Tsukishima slumped over the wall, his face twitching as he reaching for a cloth in his pocket to press against the wound.

No.

He couldn't be taken away from him that easily. 

Kuroo looked down at his leg, grabbing the hilt of the dagger. He gritted his teeth as he yanked it out, throwing the dagger back onto the ground. He adjusted his leg harness to be over his wound, tightening to stop the blood flow. Kuroo huffed angrily as he look back up at Ushijima.

For once... there was some fear in that man's eyes. 

Kuroo gazed intensely at Ushijima, his lips curling into a scowl, "You son of a bitch!" he yelled as he ran at Ushijima. 

He didn't give a second for Ushijima to recollect himself.

First, Kuroo grabbed him by the arm, pushing up the armed hand up into the air. Then, he grabbed Ushijima by the neck, ignoring the pain in his legs and he shoved Ushijima farther and farther into the room. The doors of the balcony swung open as Kuroo harshly pushed Ushijima's back against the doors. The cold wind whipped against his wounds, but Kuroo ignored them once more. 

He forced Ushijima onto the edge of the balcony, slamming his neck against the railing. He started to punch Ushijima's face furiously as he let go of Ushijima's arm, striking his face many times in a row. Ushijima let go of the gun out of shock, his hands flying to Kuroo's hands as he tried to pry him off of him. Kuroo's hand on his neck didn't move didn't have an inch. He stopped punching and tried to speed the process by using both of his hands. Harder. Harder! This bastard had a thick neck. Ha! It would take a while for him to stop breathing....

So why not?

Kuroo reached for his gun with his left hand, pulling it out. It was already locked and loaded. He pressed it harshly against Ushijima's forehead, his finger sitting on the trigger. 

"Die."

Ushijima's eyes widened at Kuroo's shaking voice.

"If you went through so much pain because of Shirabu... then you know how I feel about you shooting my soulmate," Kuroo softly spoke. His voice soon started to rise, "So die. Die. Die! You deserve to rot in hell! Go rot in hell!"

His words echoed across the open air. Snowflakes landed on Ushijima's face as Kuroo started to push down on the trigger.

End of the line... Wakatoshi.

"Wait!"

Kuroo halted his actions as he heard a strangled voice scream. He kept a strong grip on Ushijima's neck as he slightly turned his head to look at who was coming. 

Shirabu Kenjirou... himself in the flesh.

The man appeared behind the opening doors of the elevator, his hands frantically tapping against the wheels of his chair. He sped forwards as soon as the doors opened completely. Shirabu glanced at Tsukishima for a moment, but the he screeched to a halt right at the door of the balcony.

"Don't," Shirabu whispered, "Don't kill him."

Kuroo's hands shook against the gun, "You've seen what he's done... you would know better than anyone that he deserves to die!" Kuroo yelled, his eyebrows creasing deeply as he looked at Shirabu.

"He's all I have left!" Shirabu yelled in return. 

There was a small tremble in the man's voice. He saw as some tears threatened to spill over the edges of Shirabu's eyes. 

"I lost so many friends to Inarizaki, I lost my legs, I lost the things that I loved to do!" Shirabu continued to shout, "Wakatoshi... is all I have left. He's the little bit of sanity that keeps me alive in this world. He's the reason I can find myself getting up in the morning... even if I feel like I want to die after I look at my legs."

Kuroo stared down at Shirabu's legs. There were some sorts of braces over it.

"They're trying... but I know it won't work out," Shirabu quietly admitted, "So please!"

Kuroo's eyes widened as Shirabu tried to get up. The man's hands shook against his wheelchair as he pushed himself up. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled under him. Shirabu soon fell to the floor, scrapping his hands against the cement balcony. He dragged himself to Kuroo, using all of the strength left in his body to get to him. Shirabu clawed at his ankles, later gripping them with some force.

"Please.... you can arrest him, you can send him to jail, you can put him in for 20, 30, 40... even for life!" Shirabu yelled once more, "But don't kill him. Don't... please don't. I can't live if he's not alive somewhere in the world."

"Kenjirou..." Ushijima softly croaked out.

The wind howled a dying sound. Storm clouds started to die down as the wind pushed them away. The dark clouds separated away from each other as they continued onward. There were streams of moonlight coming in as they illuminated the dark sky. Some if it shined on the balcony, the wild night soon becoming still and quiet.

Kuroo turned his head back to Ushijima, loosening his grip slightly on the neck. The gun was still pressed against Ushijima's forehead....

His finger stayed on the trigger.

"Kuroo!" a voice crackled through the in ear communicator.

"Kenma?" he murmured.

"I-... I kept the line on. I knew something like this would happen... don't do anything! Cuff him up and get your attention to Tsukishima."

"Kenma... he shot him! I have to-"

" _Exactly_. Tsukishima got shot! We're sending in medical assistance and agents up to take them away. Don't you dare kill Ushijima! You know we need to bring him back alive! You know that very well..."

Kuroo scowled, "Kenma-!"

"Go! Support Tsukishima... you know how fatal a gunshot can be."

As those words entered his ear, Kuroo dropped the gun.

_Fatal._

He scrunched his face up as he shook his head, taking out handcuffs and grabbing Ushijima's wrists. He sharply positioned Ushijima to face the view out the balcony, twisting the handcuffs around so that they would be attached to the railings. He harshly cuffed Ushijima in and stuffed the key into his pockets.

"Thank you," Shirabu softly said. 

Kuroo pressed his lips into a thin line. Shirabu couldn't do anything against him. No time to think about that. Kuroo ran inside, leaving the door open to the balcony. He turned back to the wall where Tsukishima was slumped over, walking up to him and sitting down next to him. Tsukishima's face was tense, lines in his forehead becoming crevasses as he furrowed his brows deeply. The man had his eyes closed, but he opened them as he heard Kuroo's rustling.

"Hey... you'll be okay," Kuroo softly said as he placed his hand over the cloth Tsukishima had pressed against his wound, "Let me see..."

Kuroo slowly lifted up the cloth. It was soaked in red. The lower half of the shirt was covered in blood.

"It's okay... the bleeding isn't as bad," Kuroo tried to look at the positive things, "They're coming.... just hang in there, okay-"

Kuroo's words dropped as he felt Tsukishima move his hand away from the cloth. His hand reached up to Kuroo's face and lightly touched it. He gently pressed his hand against Kuroo's face, cupping it gently and weakly. 

"Your eye," he softly murmured, "I thought I told you to take care of yourself..."

Kuroo stifled a laugh, "I'm fine. I can still see you perfectly with my right eye...."

"That's my favorite thing about you though," Tsukishima smiled slightly, "Your damn cat eyes... I hated them at first. The longer you stare at them though... they prettier they get."

Kuroo could feel his eyes starting to sting, "Tsukki..."

A soft groan came out of Tsukishima, "There's so much I haven't told you.... I may not be able to tell them to you."

"Don't... don't say that," Kuroo quivered out.

"There's one thing I have to say though," Tsukishima quietly whispered, his eyelids fluttering slightly, "I have to say it.... just in case if I don't..."

"Don't. Don't say it," Kuroo begged, "This isn't the last time... don't do it. Don't you dare-!"

"I love you."

A stream of tears left his right eye. Kuroo's squeezed his eye shut and shook his head. Not yet. Not yet. It was too soon for Tsukishima to be out of his life. It was _way_ too soon. He had just gained his happiness... the world couldn't take it away from him like that!

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Tsukishima whispered sadly, a few tears leaving his eyes, "I love you so much...Tetsurou. It's so hard for me to say... since I'm not the best at expressing my emotions openly, but I really do. I really do mean it."

"Kei!" Kuroo choked out, a lump being lodged in his throat, "Kei... please. Stay with me... I love you too... so you have to stay with me!"

"I'll stay... you know goddamn well that I'll try to fight... I'll try, " Tsukishima sighed out, his eyes starting to close slowly, "I'll... I'll see you... later..."

Kuroo's heart dropped as Tsukishima's hand dropped away from his face. It drooped onto the floor, his hand limply sitting on his side.

"Kei..? Kei. Kei!" Kuroo started to shout, "No... stay with me, Kei! Stay!"

Everything sounded muted to him as the world slowed down.

There was a rush of people coming in. Yachi and Kiyoko pulled Kuroo away from Tsukishima and were shouting things to the other medics. _"He's not breathing!", "Prepare the AED!"_.... all sort of things were being shouted. Kuroo watched blankly as they opened Tsukishima's shirt, placing the defibrillator patches on his chest and sides. He could feel more tears coming out as Tsukishima's body jolted. 

His body burned like hell flames.

_"He's back! Quickly, get him to the car!"_

"Let's go Kuroo," someone softly told him as they helped him up. They had also taken the key from Kuroo's pocket and handed it over to Terushima and Sawamura. They picked him up, draping his arm around their shoulders. 

Kuroo turned his head to look at the person, "Akaashi? What... what about Bokuto?"

"He's doing fine," Akaashi quietly spoke, "We need to get you to the car fast. You won't hold out much longer with all those injuries..."

Kuroo planted his gaze to the people who soon appeared next to them as they walked on. Sawamura was pushing Shirabu forward his his wheelchair, just one of his wrists cuffed to the armrests of the wheelchair. Next to him Terushima was pushing...

Ushijima. 

Tsukishima could die... and it would all be _his_ fault. If only Tsukishima hadn't stepped in... if only Kuroo could have moved forward... none of this would have happened. But he... he shot him. Ushijima shot him. Was it really that meaningful? To ruin someone else's life... even though he was still going to be arrested? 

Kuroo felt an agonized scream build up in his throat, "You bastard.... you fucking bastard!" he screamed loudly.

"Kuroo, no!" 

Akaashi held Kuroo back as he tried to lunged at Ushijima. Sawamura and Terushima backed up, keeping them far away from Kuroo. He just let it all out...letting himself fall to the floor as a sharp pain shot up his leg. He cried, and cried, and cried, his chest heaving violently from the shallow breaths. Akaashi held him close, putting Kuroo's head on his shoulder, "It's going to be okay... It's going to be okay..." he murmured softly.

Kuroo screamed into Akaashi's shoulder, his tears dampening the man's shirt. He soon felt another pair of arms around them.

"Kuroo... it's okay... we'll get him into saftey," Kenma murmured as he wrapped his arms around him and Akaashi, patting Kuroo's back, "You'll both be fine... it's okay, it's okay. It has to be okay..."

His eyes twitched as he felt a small prick on his arm. His scream died down and his mouth gaped open. A few tears slid down his cheeks as he allowed himself to relax. Ah... Kenma sedated him... of course. 

Kenma hated to see him suffer.

From a distance, Kuroo could see people taking Tsukishima on a stretcher and down the elevator. Kuroo's eyes closed slowly, but his mouth parted slightly...

"Kei..."

Tsukishima's name hung on his lips as he went under.

11:35 p.m. 

Many injured. Agents were bruised, cut, shot, and stabbed. The police cars and vans hauled away the criminals that were left in the building. 

Kita and Ushijima were in special police cars as they were taken away. The two leader sighed in frustration as everything they had built on faded away. Their hopes, their dreams, their goals... all reduced to nothingness.

Agents were crying and sitting silently as they followed behind the medical personnel ambulances. A few rubbed their hands and picked at scars. They could only wait. They could only wait to see what would happen to those who were injured.

As the snowstorm finally perished, the moonlight shone on the vans that traveled down the road.

Mission complete.

Inarizaki Yakuza....

Shiratorizawa Mafia...

Had fallen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 11:35 p.m.  
> The two syndicates have fallen.
> 
> I've waited till this chapter to add some of my own notes! Thank you guys for the lovely compliments and for liking the story. Some of you are a little worried about me, but don't be! I"m doing alright and staying hydrated. I have a lot of time since school is ending this week. 
> 
> Thank you for reading :)


	58. Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakonoshita Hospital.  
> 3:13 a.m.  
> New Years Day

_For a moment, everything was warm. A gentle and caring warmth went through him, some sort of string floating within the nothingness. It was almost like the red string of faith, just in different colors. The long looping string was black, swirling in circles as he reached out to it. His finger barely touched it when it suddenly turned gold and red. Something came within him..._

_Overwhelming waves of pain. His head started to ache... he could feel his veins throb from how much pain flooded into his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, grabbing his head as he shook his head. Stop... stop... stop..._

_"Stop!" he screamed._

Kuroo jolted awake, shooting up straight in the bed. He gasped terribly, placing his hands over his chest. What was that all about...? He didn't feel any headaches coming on.... there was just a zap of pain shooting up his leg. Where was he anyways?

"Kuroo... you're up!" someone spoke, "He's up!"

He watched as Kenma darted out of the room, calling in other people into the room. A flood of doctors came in, immediately checking the basics on Kuroo. He could hear the soft beeping of machines and the sounds of feet scuffling around the hallways outside. He then realized that his vision was... off. His left eye... was it bandaged?

Oh. Right. 

"My eye," he murmured, his lips cracking at the edges, "How's my eye...?"

Yachi was included in the swarm of doctors, "Ah. Do you want it straight or not?"

"Direct."

"We thought it was just a severe corneal abrasion, but it was worse than we thought. When we were prepping to treat the abrasion, we found something. Yes, your eye is scratched... but your retina detached. It could have healed on its own, but because of the abrasion... it was possible you could go blind in your right eye. We did go in and fixed the retina right away, but as I stated... you could go blind because of the abrasion. We can go through treatment for... weeks or even months. Eventually we can do reconstruction surgery for the case if you do go blind."

Kuroo just nodded slowly. He knew that the cut was severe... but he didn't think it would be that bad. Blind? What would Tsu-

Tsukishima.

"Kei," he murmured, "What about Kei...?"

"Kei... oh. Tsukishima," Yachi quietly repeated. Her eyes looked downward, "Well..."

She was cut off as Akaashi and Bokuto busted through the door. The two frantically looked over to Kuroo as they ran up to either sides of the bed. Bokuto had his right arm in a sling and bandages wrapped all around his shoulder. Akaashi had a few band-aids on his knuckles and face. Everyone must have had it rough... even as Kenma stood near the frame of the doorway, he looked exhausted. The doctors left the room as the finished up, a few instructions being relayed to Yachi as she stayed behind. 

"You're okay!" Bokuto exclaimed, "Well... mostly okay. Hey, we can make you cool eye-patches later on when you're recovering... if that helps. At least you're awake. Good. That's good."

"What about-"

Akaashi interrupted, "It could have been worse... at least you're safe and sound now. We have to make sure that you don't try to overexert yourself like you did when your hand was injured."

"Yes, but-"

Once more Kenma intervened, "Hopefully this doesn't happen again. If we didn't sedate you... we might have struggled to get you down. We weren't late, but we could have been if we hadn't stopped you from attacking," Kenma shook his head in disappointment, "You know that-"

This time, Kuroo interrupted, "What about Tsukishima?"

Silence.

Kuroo looked around at the four of them. Why weren't they saying anything...?

Unless...

"Don't... don't tell me...?" Kuroo asked quietly.

"No!" the four shouted. 

Kuroo sighed in relief. Thank god.

"There were complications though," Kenma spoke up, "When we were getting Tsukishima into the ambulance... he went under again. They were all doing their best to keep him breathing, and they managed to get him back on. However..."

"They're still in there,"Akaashi murmured, "It's been almost four hours and they're still in the operation room. We don't know if there were more complications... it could be because of all the blood he lost.... but we don't know what's happening to him."

Silence.

Kuroo gave a shaky sigh as he fell back into the bed. He squeezed his eye tightly, trying to avoid any more tears from spilling. It's fine... he's not out yet. If he's still in there, that means that he's still fighting. Tsukishima said that he would try his best to stay alive. He had to. There was so much more left for them to do. It couldn't just end like that. It couldn't. Kuroo wouldn't be able to go on if it did.

"Kuroo?"

He opened his eye back up, tilting his head to look at Kenma. His friend had a worried look on his face, "I know you're not okay. You don't have to hide it from us.... we're here for you."

The four stared at him with soft eyes. It was almost like... pity. 

Almost like...

"Guys," he nervously laughed, "Don't look at me like that... it's like you guys are thinking that he won't make it."

The four looked around, fiddling with their fingers or with what was around them. 

"Guys?"

"He lied," Bokuto blurted, "We didn't want you to take in everything so heavily.... so Akaashi tried to give a part of the truth. The whole truth... is that we do know what's going on. He is still in there, but the bullet grazed his lung. They're doing tissue repair on it and trying to get it back to normal, but he's at the possibility of falling under many times. At this point, coming out with no complication... is low."

Oh.

Now the tears came out.

"Wait... wait," he choked out, "Are you saying that... he really might not make it?"

They nodded sadly. 

Now they could pity him.

He swallowed thickly as he tried to wipe away his falling tears. They just kept coming. He wouldn't be shocked if he somehow got dehydrated from all this crying. Kenma handed him a box of tissues. The other two just stood in silence as they comforted him, patting and rubbing his shoulders or arms. Yachi suddenly left the room as she got a phone call. 

Even as the minutes dragged on, the atmosphere was still heavy.

Kuroo let out a deep breath of air, looking up at the ceiling as the last few tears fell. He didn't want to think of it. Don't think about it, don't think about it, don't think-

"He's out."

Yachi entered the room once more, her phone in her hand as she looked at them, "Tsukishima got out of the OR. They did it. They got the bullet out and fixed the punctured lung. He did go under at one point, but other than that, it's done. He should be alright... but we have to wait until he wakes up to make sure."

"Four hours," Akaashi sighed out, "Now it's just a waiting game."

Kuroo sat back up, "He's breathing... oh thank god," he shakily breathed out, "That's a relief.... that's good."

He's fine.

As long as Tsukishima was still breathing, that meant that he could wake up and come back to the world. There was still a chance. There was still hope. That's all Kuroo needed. He just needed to hang onto that glimmer of hope. That's all he needed to get through this. He could go blind, he could lose his leg, but as long as Tsukishima was still in this world... he'll be fine.

**But was it really... fine?**

As hours passed, Tsukishima didn't wake up. The new year glowed as January moved in, the sunset coming into the room as the nurses pulled open the blinds. A few of them wished him a happy new year, but there wasn't much to be happy about. As he looked out the window, he saw the snow leftover from the storm melt away as quickly as it came. More hours passed... nothing.

Days.

Weeks.

Nothing.

At one point, Kuroo begged them to let him get up. He begged them to at least let him see Tsukishima... even if he wasn't supposed to be exerting himself. Reluctantly, they allowed him to. Kenma and Akaashi were hesitant to help his onto crutches, for they knew that Kuroo would be slapped into reality once he saw Tsukishima.

How it did smack him in the face.

The moment he saw Tsukishima... that strange wave of pain came over his head. He was just laying there... doing nothing else but breathing. Some machines kept track of his heartbeat and other wavelengths, but he was just... so still.

That's when it hit him hard.

Due to the long lack of oxygen on his way to the hospital, due to the lack of it when he went under surgery.... Tsukishima fell under the deepest sleep. He went under the sleep that may have no return. He was deprived of all voluntary movements and could only breathe on his own. There was nothing known of when he would wake up or _if_ he would wake up.

Comma.

Kuroo stumbled back, his gaze still on Tsukishima's bed. He may never wake up.... no. Don't think like that, don't think like that, don't-

Everything became muffled in a split second.

He had somehow collapsed into the arms of Akaashi and Kenma, going out as soon as he fell. When he woke up again, he was told that he fainted due to high levels of stress. His friends surrounded him as they tried to comfort him, as they tried to tell him to take care of himself....

Everything came into one ear and came out the other.

He wasn't okay with just seeing Tsukishima breathe.

Kuroo wanted to see him walking, running, smiling, laughing.... that's all he wanted to see.

So he would wait.

No matter how painful it was... he would wait. No matter how long it took, he would wait. Even if months or even years went on, Kuroo would be waiting for the day that Tsukishima opened his eyes.

So he had to take care of himself. He had to make sure that he didn't fall under worse conditions. Kuroo had to recover his physical and mental health before he could go over to Tsukishima again. He had to collect himself so that he would be able to watch over Tsukishima.

He had to get better.... so that he would be able to sit by Tsukishima's side everyday, hoping that he would wake up at any moment.

So he was willing to wait.

He had promised after all.... that he would stay.

Forever...

And always. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shortish chapter today. If it was combined with anything else, it wouldn't have as much impact.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next few chapters are sprinkles of the other couples, what happened to Sakusa and Komori, and some sentences for our jail peeps.


	59. Take it Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping up things with our crime boys.

"Any requests before we end the briefing?"

"Let me see him."

Komori stared into Kageyama's eyes as the agent clicked his pen. He closed a packet of papers, while one other agent behind him pressed down on the recorder to turn it off. The first month of the New Year had already dwindled down into the last week, February waiting around the corner to come into view. The hospital was filled with injured agents and syndicate members, so policemen were swarming around. Agents went ahead to question some syndicate members, wrapping things up to evaluate the many sentences and trials.

Komori and Sakusa were one of the bigger cases, along with the inner circle members and leaders. Murder. They could be in jail for life. However, since Komori and Sakusa showed strong regrets against their actions, it was possible to get a lighter sentence. Even if a few years were ticked off, they would still spend a long time behind bars.

Who knew if they would even be in the same place.... who knew if they would be in different wards or units or cells. Their injuries will still keep them here for a while, but once everything is healed, they were going straight into trials.

The two had decided to plead guilty. There was no point in avoiding it.

But... 

He still wanted to see him. Komori hadn't seen Sakusa due to his broken ribs. It was hard to move because of them. The two had sustained major injuries- mostly broken bones- but Sakusa was the one who took it hard. He had a concussion and a broken hand, along with other broken bones. Komori didn't have reach to protect Sakusa's head completely when they were falling, so there was trauma left on Sakusa. 

He still couldn't believe that Sakusa jumped... just to save him.

"Please," Komori asked again, "That's all I want."

Kageyama turned to the other agent, "He won't try to leave... he did buy me time up at the rooftop. Can't I return the favor somehow, Sawamura?"

Sawamura thought on it for a moment, but then he gave a soft sigh and a smile, "As long as he can walk over there. We still have to keep him restrained though.... its under Johzenji orders."

"That's fine," Komori nodded, "As long as my hands are in the front... that's all."

Kageyama soon walked over to Komori, unlocking the one cuff that was on his wrist and attached to the bed railing. He helped Komori up to his feet, making sure that he could walk steadily. Komori felt the corner of his mouth twitch as he felt a small pain in his torso. It wasn't as bad as a few weeks ago. He could walk. 

The two agents walked him over to Sakusa's room. It was only a few doors down his. He was actually really close to his room. He thought that he would have been on a different floor.

He wondered if he really was okay.

Sawamura murmured a few words to the police officers who stood in front of Sakusa's door. They nodded in return as they stepped aside, allowing Kageyama to slide the door open. The agents lead him inside, standing a few feet away from the bed that was in the room.

As Sakusa lifted his head up, his eyes widened. Sakusa tried to move forward, but he flinched as some sort of pain came over him. Sakusa gave a soft sigh as he looked back at Komori. His eyes searched left and right into Komori's eyes, a small smile appearing on his face. He shook his head in disbelief, as if he had finally registered everything that he had done. 

Komori shrugged and shook his head as well. He still couldn’t believe it.

He left the sides of the agents, walking over to Sakusa's side. He looked down at the handcuffs around his hands. He gestured to them, still shaking his head. Sakusa laughed a little. They knew they would end up this way eventually.

Komori blinked quickly as he reached over to Sakusa, "Hey..."

Sakusa gave out a choked laugh, "Hey," he said smiled. 

Komori looked down to his handcuffs, “So... what would our family have to say about this? Their pride and joy in jail and possibly never coming out again?”

Sakusa snickered, “Please. They probably knew ever since the fall of Itachiyama. Pride and joy my ass. We’re about to be on the news someday, and your mom is going to come into the visiting center to yell at us. We’ll probably be separated so...”

“I don’t think we’ll have much time to talk anyways,” he jingled his handcuffs. 

Komori furrowed his eyebrows as he saw a hand appear on his side. The handcuffs fell away from his hands, the hand moving over to unlock the one cuff that held Sakusa back. The railing of the bed was also dropped down. Komori looked up at Kageyama, who held up a finger to his own lips.

"Sawamura went outside to distract the police," he quickly explained, "Shh. Don't tell."

Kageyama then ran over to the door, facing away from them as he looked out the window. Komori rubbed his wrists, Sakusa gesturing to him to sit down. He sat on the bed, Sakusa still lost in thought about their end. 

There was still something in the back of his head though...

"Why did you do that?" Komori asked, wondering what the real reason behind Sakusa jumping off of the roof.

"Because it was you," Sakusa replied quietly, "I couldn't see you die... I really wouldn't be able to live if you were gone."

"But... you left him."

Sakusa pulled back to look at him, "I did. I did... I loved him for a while, and I was blinded by what I thought was love. It was always you though.... even in my hardest times, you were there when he wasn't. You stayed... and you put up with all my problems. You always gave me somewhere safe to run to.... and everything abut you is so comforting. Even if my mark never got fixed.... you were still trying to make me happy.” 

Sakusa nudged him, “Blood is thicker than water, right? Let’s make our lives a happier one....even if it is in jail.” 

Komori blinked quickly to avoid any tears, "Do you know how long I've waited for you to say that? Oh my god, this rebellious kid is finally being responsible.” 

Sakusa laughed softly, "Hey, I’ve always been responsible.”

”That’s a lie.”

”Your parents would have been proud of you for thinking this way.”

”I know they would... I know.”

The two shook theirs heads and laughed. Oh.... it felt as if everything was finally being lifted off of them. No more despair...no more guilt....everything felt rather...

Calming.

They ended up talking for a while. About their families. About their marks. About what was in store for them....

It was strangely calm. 

"Uhm... the doctors are waiting for Sakusa's checkup," Kageyama noted as he gestured towards the door, "I just didn't want to say anything since.... you were... talking about family things. Personal stuff, I know."

"Oh," the two muttered as the looked at each other.

Komori searched Sakusa eyes. There was some sadness hidden within it, but his irises were filled with that soft and gentle peace. It almost overwhelmed the little bit of sadness that hung within his eyes. He sighed softly as Kageyama walked over to them, the key and handcuffs in his hands.

"I'll see you later?" Komori asked as he sat up and moved away from Sakusa.

Sakusa waved his hand slightly, "See you later."

Soon, they were back into the handcuffs. Komori waved his hand slightly as he said his goodbyes, being led out of the room. Sawamura and Kageyama were on his sides as they escorted him back to his room.

"Considering the fact that you were agents before," Sawamura noted, "this case is a little bit more complicated. The least you could get is thirty years.... the most is life. You and Sakusa are likely to be in the same place. As for the others, they're being sent in to places with reinforced security. We can't let them out into the world again."

They stopped outside the door of his room. Komori turned to face the two agents, "It's what we deserve. We've killed too many people and ruined too many lives. I would appreciate less time.... but I know what I deserve."

"Say that in court," Kageyama nodded, "Maybe a little bit can be ticked off."

Komori nodded as they opened the door to his room, leading him in and going through the same procedure. Komori stared at the cuff on his wrist as the other one was attached to the bed. The agents told him a few more things, soon leaving as they said their goodbyes. Some nurses came in, providing him food and water. One of the opened the curtains. Komori looked out the window.

He smiled.

Even though he had heard his possible sentence, he was happy. He wasn’t that toxic waste that gave Sakusa despair with one simple look. He could become a safe haven for him.... even if they did have those warning signs above them.

That was enough for him.

As he continued to look out the window, staring at the melting snow, he couldn't stop smiling.

It was a strangely beautiful day that afternoon.

* * *

"Enough!"

Oikawa's face remained still as he watched guards restrain Ushijima, who was angrily fighting against him. Oikawa just sighed as he leaned back in his chair, staring up at the crinkled lines in Ushijima's face.

"I told you," Oikawa murmured, "Life. You've done too much in this world... your reign is over."

Ushijima laughed, "Life... life."

The guards forced him back down in the chair, holding him down. Oikawa found it rather disturbing to see Ushijima in something other than that tacky purple dress shirt. He now wore the beige jumpsuit, his number being displayed to everyone on his chest. Oikawa had came in to announce what he would be charged for, wrapping up their investigations and records before the prosecution took it away from their hands. It was... strange. Nekodorani rarely worked with the police and prosecution. 

Nice change of pace.

"You have many felonies on your hands," Oikawa sighed out as he closed his folder of information, "Your trial is going to be soon. As always, you can get a lawyer... but I don't think this will end well."

Ushijima sighed heavily, "Shirabu... what about Shirabu?"

"He's going to be supervised while under arrest ," Oikawa stated, "You know why.... because of his condition. They're not going to put him in the same place as the rest of you for his safety and health."

"Good... that's good," Ushijima murmured. 

Oikawa stood up, "Anymore objections?"

Ushijima furrowed his eyebrows, "What... about that agent?"

Ugh.

Oikawa scowled, "He's in a comma. We can press charges for that too, just an FYI." 

Ushijima had the nerve to smirk, "At least I left a mark before I go away."

"Whatever lets you sleep at night Ushiwaka," Oikawa replied as he shook his head, "Have fun in court."

Oikawa soon left Ushijima's visiting room. As he looked back into the room, Ushijima still wore that smirk on his face. Oikawa shook his head as he moved onto the next room. Those people already knew what was going to happen... but Oikawa still had to run it down for them. 

He entered the room, meeting eyes with Miya Atsumu and Kita Shinsuke. It was rare for two prisoners to be asked into the same room, but the agencies had to wrap this up quickly. It's almost been four weeks since the incident. Prosecution needed their reports in order to continue forth with the trials, which there were many. 

He was going to go insane by the end of this.

"Gentlemen," Oikawa nodded as he sat down, "Before I lay down the route you two are likely to go down, do you have any questions?"

Atsumu immediately sat up straight, "Sakusa?"

"He's alive," Oikawa replied, "He has many broken bones and many injuries, but he's alive and breathing. He's in recovery... but it's unlikely for you to see him again. The two rouge agents are going to be sent in somewhere else.... for their safety."

"Safety?" Atsumu murmured. His eyes looked down, "Is it because of what happened on the rooftop?"

"They are planning to plead guilty and admit to their crimes," Oikawa continued, "Sakusa admitted to regretting his decisions. You showed aggression towards one of them siding with an agent, so the police are worried you'll do something again if you were all together. You can take that how you want to.... but he asked for us to relay a message."

Oikawa reached into a different folder, taking out a folded piece of paper. Sawamura and Kageyama were at the hospital earlier. They were doing a briefing on the two for agency records. Sakusa had personally asked for something to be sent to Atsumu. Sawamura had brought it to him at the agency before he left for the correction facilities. 

Atsumu eyed it, grabbing it carefully. He soon opened it, reading through the lines. 

Drops started to fall down the man's eyes.

"I knew it," Atsumu murmured, "I knew it... but I still tried to hold on. At least... I tried my best. I knew blood was thicker than anything else...but of course he would pick family...Sakusa was always that kind of man...” 

Oikawa sat there with his folded hands, "You can write him a letter in return and we'll send it to him."

Atsumu squeezed his eyes shut, "Okay... I understand."

He quickly explained Atsumu his sentence and what he had rights to. Atsumu nodded slowly as everything was being processed. Once more, he was one of the members at having the max sentence being life. Mass homicide with no signs of regrets. Not to mention, he was affiliated with the selling of illegal drugs and weapons. It was still up in the air because Atsumu seemed to be wavering on his desicions, but it was unsure if he would admit to his crimes.

Oikawa allowed Atsumu to leave the room when he asked to. He watched as they took him away, Atsumu's head hanging low as he continued to process all the information. 

He turned his attention back to the leader. 

"Kita? Anything for you?"

The man shook his head, "There's nothing left for me to do or say."

Oikawa furrowed his eyebrows, "Hm. Ushiwaka put up quite a fight. Are you really okay with this? You do know what's coming to you, right?"

Kita just smiled, "I've realized that I'll probably go under a similar treatment as Shirabu because of my missing arm. Life sentence... doesn't sound that bad. If Ushijima isn't out in the world or in the same jailhouse, then there's no competition. That's no fun- huh. Maybe competition has some sort of purpose in my life," he started to side track, "I've been thinking a lot of my purpose lately. I'll finally get some time to take it easy and review myself."

Syndicate leaders... they really are strange people.

"If that's all you want to say," Oikawa said as he stood up, "I'll pass this down to prosecution. Your trial will come soon."

Kita nodded, "I know. I've left my mark in the world. I'll just leave another one in the correction facilities."

Oikawa sighed, "You two are really strange people...."

Kita just shrugged. Oikawa lingered for a moment, searching for any signs of Kita wanting to speak about something. Nothing. It did seem like Kita had accepted whatever was coming at him. Even at the Ushijima Residence, he seemed to be defeated. It was as if Kita decided to reevaluate his entire life. Maybe he was serious about the whole "purpose of life" thing. Kita was accepting the reality of his life. 

It looked like seeing his arm on the ground really did something to him.

Oikawa left the correction center, going back to the agency for a long night of writing and collecting.

As time went on, February came in. Trials were given to the minor members of the syndicates. Many of them slipped away with seven to fifteen years. The members of the inner circle received up to a forty or fifty year sentence, the minimum being twenty five years. 

Years of illegal money, drugs, and actions really do catch up.

The last sentences to finish were the syndicate leaders, the right hand of Inarizaki, and the rogue agents.

Thirty five years for the Itachiyama ones. They showed deep remorse and regret. Their record of being agents had helped them ever so slightly. They ticked down their sentence by five years, going from forty to a lower number. With good behavior, they may even get out sooner.

The other three: Atsumu, Kita, and Ushijima....

Life.

They would be able to reevaluate themselves for the rest of the time they would be there.

Under special conditions, Kita was sent to a smaller correction facility. He was to be kept away from Ushijima. The rest of the syndicate members had been placed into the same correction facility. The first day they went in, many of them had already started to pick fights with each other. They had to take away their sorrows somehow.

That's the way the criminal life is.

The bitterness of life it taken out with crime. When that's taken away.... what's left? 

Nothing. 

So they sat in those cold places, wondering what would the rest of their lives would be like. Some wondered if they should just return to the crime life. Others wondered what would happen if they decided to recover themselves in society.

It was unknown, but even though everything was taken away so suddenly....

They could all take it easy for once.

No running around, no pent up worries, no need to run away from those against them...

They could rest for once.

As the last of the jail doors slammed closed, the lights of the correction facility hallways went off one by one.

The lights of the prosecution offices turned off.

The ones at the lawyers? Off.

And finally... the lights of the agencies flickered off.

A red stamp was placed over the Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki folder.

Case...

Closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it makes you guys feel any better, I cried a little bit myself when I wrote the last angst chapters :(  
> Next chapter is all for the other couples :)


	60. Peace of Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the boys are exhausted and filled with worries.  
> They do their best to distract themselves until things get better.

Kenma fidgeted with his headset. It's not like he had anything to do with it. After the cases of Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki closed, chaos slowly died down. Iron Wall was still around, but they weren't a huge threat. They did help them round up the ones who tried to run away on that day. At this point, Iron Wall probably see them as decent people. All that was left in the world for them was drug dealers, body guard requests, and the smaller rag-tag groups.

They weren't working on any of it as of currently.

No one could settle down. There were piles of papers to be sorted through. So many reports were being finalized for the cabinet.... it was taking so long to finish. Not to mention...

It's been a month.

Tsukishima hasn't woken up.

Kenma had always gone to the hospital to visit Kuroo. He would check in on him, making sure that he was doing well after his checkups and treatments. Kuroo would just press him lips into a thin smile and talk quietly to him. His one open eye was blank whenever he looked at Kenma. The most emotion Kuroo would show was when they passed Tsukishima's room. His face would scrunch up, staring sadly into the thin window. He would force himself to tear his eyes away from the room, his eye returning back to that blank state. He was just...

Lifeless.

That wasn't the Kuroo that Kenma knew.

Kenma sighed heavily as he placed his headset down on the table. He got up from his chair, moving out of the technology room. Kenma soon went to the closet to grab his jacket and bag, leaving the agency behind. No one else was there since they were off of work for a while, but Kenma had just came in here to find some sort of peace. He just skimmed through the old maps, clearing up Shiratorizawa's and Inarizaki's names from the territories. 

Work. He just worked to get things off of his mind. 

He sighed heavily once more as he locked the entrance to the agency. Kenma looked up at the sound of a honking car. He turned around to see Shouyou in his car, lowing the window as he waved at him. 

"Kenma!" he happily called out, "Get in!"

He soon went around to get into the passenger seat, opening the door and sitting down next to Shouyou. He closed the door, placing his bag down in the backseat before reaching for his seat belt and buckling himself in. He turned to look at Shouyou, who was already staring at him.

"I was looking for you everywhere," Shouyou pouted, "Why are you working? We're supposed to be resting."

"I know... I just had to clear my mind a little, that's all," Kenma reassured him.

Shouyou reached over to Kenma. He pushed his hair behind his ear, "Your hair is getting longer," Shouoyu noted. 

"Mhm. I haven't cut it since this whole thing started," he nodded, "I probably have to redye my hair again at some point too... the tips at the least."

"I can do it for you," Shouyou offered as he started to drive away, "Well... I can help with part of it. We can ask the others to help with the rest."

"Others?"

"I was heading to Akaashi's place to hang out. I told him I was bringing you along, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping. What do you say? Want to give it a shot? We can try to clear all our minds. Together."

Kenma hummed. He nodded as he looked back at Shouyou.

Existential crisis haircut?

Sounds like a decent idea. 

* * *

Akaashi didn't expect to be cutting hair tonight, but here he was.

"Akaashi, you've done this yourself before?" Bokuto asked as he set down a box of yellow hair dye. Hinata and Bokuto were prepping it for Kenma's hair. Akaashi snipped away some of the loose ends of Kenma's wet hair, making sure that he was keeping it nice and even. 

"You can say that," Akaashi said in return.

"He definitely has," Hinata chirped in, "One time in the academy he had a pretty bad day and decided cut his hair. He asked me to dye it and...."

Akaashi's eyes widened, "Haha... Hinata don't-"

"Apple red!" Hinata exclaimed as he pulled out his phone, handing it to Bokuto. There was panic in Akaashi's eyes, but he tried to remain calm as he cut away at Kenma's hair. Not the apple red hair, anything but the apple red hair!

Bokuto stared at the photo, trying hard not to laugh.

"I grabbed the wrong box," Akaashi explained as he added the finished touches, "I thought it was a really, really, _really_ dark red, but nope! False advertising, am I right? Haha... ha."

The two bursted into laughter. Hinata almost knocked over the bowl with the hair dye in it from stumbling over, trying to catch his breath. Akaashi could feel heat rising to his cheeks. Bokuto shook his head as he tried to stop himself from laughing, "The tips may have been alright... but maybe purple or gray would have been better!" he suggested with a grin.

Akaashi smiled slightly. "I'll take that into consideration," he chuckled as he brushed any excess hairs off of Kenma, "Your turn guys. I have to feed the pets."

He handed Kenma a mirror. Kenma looked at his reflection, touching his hair slightly, "Nice... let's see how long that will last," he nervously sighed. 

Akaashi left Kenma to the others. He went over to his room, opening the door wide as he stepped in. Three dogs and one cat were standing at his feet, looking up at him and pawing at his legs. The kitchen wasn't big enough for all four of them to eat, so Akaashi had set down the bowls in his room. He walked over and knelt next to them, pouring each other their servings into their respective bowls. Tofu went right away to eat.

Twix, Boba, and Goldie stared back at Akaashi.

"Go ahead," he murmured, "It's okay. You can eat."

It was almost like they hesitated to take anything from Akaashi or Bokuto. Animals are more aware than what people think. They must have realized how long Kuroo and Tsukishima had been away. The three pets must have missed them dearly.

"I know guys," he muttered as he looked at them, "I miss them too."

"Miss who?"

Akaashi turned his head slightly to look at Bokuto, who was entering the room. He knelt next to Akaashi, drifting his gaze towards the pets.

"Kuroo and Tsukishima," Akaashi sighed out, "I know Kuroo's going to heal up... but it just feels like he's not... there anymore. You know? Tsukishima hasn't woken up and we don't know when he'll wake up. Their pets are starting to miss them as well."

Bokuto hummed, "I know. We all want to see Kuroo happy again. We all want to see Tsukki wake up. Everything will be fine though."

"You were pretty worried in the beginning," Akaashi said as he looked back at the pets, "How did you manage to go back to everyday life... as if nothing happened?"

"I believe in them," Bokuto smiled, "I believe that they'll get through this. Kuroo will try his best to recover so that he can watch over Tsukki, and Tsukki will fight his hardest until he can wake up. I'm going to believe in them. If I have faith in them... then I can keep holding onto that hope. I can keep hoping that everything will be alright. I can have a peace of mind. When I panic, nothing good comes out of it. You just gotta bounce back up and hope for the best... even if things are kind of discouraging. "

Akaashi sighed softly, "You really do have a way with words."

"If they're comforting for you, then that's what matters," Bokuto reassured as he leaned over, planting a soft peck on his cheek.

"Another one please," Akaashi murmured as he tapped his cheek.

Bokuto smiled as he placed another peck. Akaashi kept asking for another, and another, and another....

"Keiji!" Bokuto laughed as he trapped him in his arms, moving them away from the pets. Akaashi laughed lightly as Bokuto bombarded him with kisses, planting them all over his neck and face. 

"Koutarou!" he laughed out, "I get it, I get it! That's enough," he sighed out with a smile.

Bokuto looked at him, "That's the first time you've said my name," he grinned.

"About time I said it," Akaashi smiled in return as he cupped Bokuto's face, "I love you... so much."

"I love you too," Bokuto softly replied.

There was a comfortable moment of silence between them. The dogs had jumped in on the cuddling as they surrounded the two. As Bokuto said, they should take in the good things in life during hard times. He'll believe in them as well. The two injured men were still fighting hard to live. He couldn't let his discouragement get the best of him. So he'll hope for the best. He'll wait out in these hard times. 

Akaashi will believe that Kuroo and Tsukishima will get better.

The silence was broken by a horrible gasp from outside

Akaashi and Bokuto quickly got up and left the room. checking in on whoever let out that sound. As they went into the living room, the two locked eyes with Kenma and his freshly dyed hair.

A snort came out of Akaashi as he held back a laugh. Bokuto's frame was shaking as he stifled his laughter.

Hinata looked up sheepishly, "Ha... it wasn't normal blonde. Hey... electric lemon isn't that bad Kenma," Hinata tried to reassure as he patted Kenma's shoulders. 

"Shouyou... when we go on that first date, make sure it's in your house," Kenma muttered as he stared into the mirror, " I look like... like..."

"Big Bird!" Bokuto howled as he fellow to the ground, crumpling over in laughter. 

Everyone else broke down into laughter. Even Kenma joined in as he shook his head, the laughter ringing around the room. Even if it was for a short time, they should take their worries off for a while. They should appreciate what they had in the moment, enjoying it and basking in the little things in life. Things are meant to get better eventually. They all just had to have patience. They all had to live life like it normally was. 

They just had to...

Wait.

* * *

"We'll part ways here!"

Suga waved goodbye to Daichi as he got out of the car with Iwaizumi. Suga had invited them and Oikawa out for dinner. Oikawa offered to drive them out to dinner since Suga didn't have a car. Everyone was plagued with lingering worries from the events of last month. They had to find ways to distract themselves in order to continue on. It was okay to worry... but constantly worrying would lead to many problems. 

Suga watched as Daichi went hand in hand with Iwaizumi, entering the apartment building. He turned to Oikawa, who was sitting in the drivers seat.

"Thanks again for driving us out," Suga said, "My house is a little farther from here.... you could have dropped me off first." 

"It's still early," Oikawa hummed as he drove forward, "I was wondering i you'd like to hang out.... if you want to. My house is up ahead."

Suga shrugged, "I've got nothing else to do."

They soon arrived at Oikawa's apartment, parking on the side of the curb. Suga hopped out of the car, closing the door behind him as he waited for Oikawa to lead the way. Oikawa sent a smile his way as they went inside the apartment building, climbing two floors before arriving at Oikawa's apartment. Oikawa unlocked the door, stepping in and taking his shoes off. 

"Modern, huh?" Suga noted as he looked around the apartment, slipped his shoes off.

"What did you expect, retro?" Oikawa joked, "That's Iwaizumi's apartment."

"Nah, I thought you'd be a more tacky decorator," Suga laughed, "I'll never forget that one outfit you showed me. Plaid shorts? Really?"

"Oh come on, they were all the rage in 2010," Oikawa shook his head, walking over to the couch and sitting down after throwing his jacket over a chair, "Plaid pants? Now that's something a little bit better. They're all over the market nowadays."

Suga closed the door behind him, slipping off his coat. He neatly placed it down on the same chair Oikawa had his jacket. Suga sat next to Oikawa, tapping his feet on the ground as they sat in silence. 

A long, dragging, silence. 

"Movie?" 

"Please."

Oikawa soon turned the television on, a movie popping up right away. Oikawa looked at Suga for approval, "I was re-watching it a few days ago. We can watch this. It's an animated movie... but it's a good one."

"WALL-E.... it's a cute movie," Suga smiled, "Didn't think you'd watch things like this."

"It's in space. That's all I need in order to watch a movie," Oikawa grinned. 

The two sat through the movie, watching as the two little robots went on their own adventure. Oikawa started to lean against Suga, pressing his arm pressing against Suga's arm. Suga started to lean against him as well. As the minutes went on, Oikawa rested his head against Suga's shoulder. Suga could feel his ears getting red. Was this it? Was this making a move... or was it just because he was tired?

Suga's train of thought disappeared as he focused back on the screen. WALL-E and EVE were dancing across space. It was the scene in which dancing was being defined. The movie went by that fast? 

Oikawa sat up, "This is my favorite part," he said as he stood on his feet, spinning around slowly in one place, but the starting to lightly dance around the room. Oikawa made his way back around to Suga, grabbing his hand and pulling him up. Suga's eyes widened as Oikawa took him hand in hand, dancing lightly and carefree to the quiet music in the background of the movie. Suga found his rhythm, going with the flow of the spin articulated dance. Oikawa gave Suga one more spin as the scene ended.

"Look at you," Oikawa smiled brightly, "You went right into the step sequence."

"I'm a good dancer," Suga sighed softly, "We'll go to a club next time."

"Next time?" Oikawa murmured, "Is this a date already?"

Suga hummed, "Dinner... a movie.... I guess so. Half double date and then a movie date. Well, technically you were supposed to ask me out to dinner first. So... kind of a date but not really?"

"That's good enough for me," Oikawa answered, "It's was nice."

Suga just realized that they were still hand in hand. Oikawa was looking at him up and down, his gaze lingering on the lower half of his face. There was longing in those eyes, as if Oikawa had been waiting forever for some sort of sign, any sign, for mutual feelings.

Screw baby steps. It's already been too long. Suga had waited patiently enough.

He stood up a little taller, pulling Oikawa into him. He leaned closer to Oikawa's face, closing his eyes as he felt a warm sensation on his lips. Suga held onto Oikawa's waist as he responded quickly to Suga's kiss, going along with his movements. He felt Oikawa's hands moved up, soon tangling themselves in Suga's hair. Oikawa leaned in further, moving Suga to the nearest wall. Suga's back pressed against the wall, the warm and sweet feeling still going strong. Suga pulled away for a moment, taking in a breath of air.

"I'm so glad you didn't eat fish for dinner" Suga smiled, "Good choice... the chocolate milkshake at the end of dinner."

"I mean... I was kind of hoping for this," Oikawa murmured, placing gentle kisses down his cheeks, "I've waited long enough."

"Me too," Suga admitted as his hands left Oikawa's waist, moving up to wrap his arms around his neck, "Me too."

They completely forgot about the movie. The two got lost in their feverish actions, all that longing and yearning pouring out into a single night. They went on for a while... longer than they expected. Suga had managed to get them back to the couch, laying down to take a moment to catch their own breath. The movie was already coming to an ending, that sweet song playing in the background. Suga nestled himself onto Oikawa, sighing softly as he could hear the man's heart threatening to leave his chest.

"This was great," Oikawa sighed out, "Best night ever."

"Hmm... there were better for me," Suga joked.

"Oh it's on, Suga-chan," Oikawa smirked, "You can't just say that in front of your soulmate."

Suga giggled as he felt those gentle kisses against him again. The two were soon tangled together on the couch, the young night getting later and later. Suga ended up spending the night at Oikawa's house. 

Everyone else was with their significant other, basking into that comforting and familiar warmth. Other were comforted by friends and family. Everyone were trying their best to continue their everyday lives, hanging onto that hope and belief that everything will go back to normal.

Everyone just had to hang onto that peace of mind.

They would wait.

They would believe.

They would live in peace, setting aside their worries for the sake of their own health.

So they would take those small moment to appreciate those around them. They would take those small moments to love and heal each other. They would take those moments to comfort one another. 

They would stay with that peace of mind. They would patiently wait and wait...

For that sweet happy moment when everyone is satisfied with their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is all, that loves about  
> And we'll recall, when time runs out  
> That it only  
> Took a moment,  
> To be loved...  
> Whole...  
> Life...  
> Long.  
> (It only takes a moment - Michael Crawford)


	61. Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fast forward to summer...

**_FOUR MONTHS LATER..._ **

It was the same routine as always.

At exactly 6 A.M, he would wake up, slamming his hand down on his phone to turn it off. Sometimes he would miss the phone, which led to him to scrounging around for it and promptly throwing it across the carpeted floor. He would then force himself to get up, search for the phone once more and finally turn off the stupid alarm. He would then go back to the nightstand, grabbing his heavily prescribed glasses and placing them on his face.

The world was a little more different from one blind eye.

Kuroo would tend the bed, which wasn't much work. He always kept the left side of the bed neatly tended. Twix would be the one on there, always greeting him with a soft meow after he woke up. He would scratch the back of her ear and in return she'd nuzzle her little head against his hand.

"Good morning," he yawned out, "How's our little Twix doing today?"

She would usually meow or purr. This time, she stayed quiet.

"Huh? Not in the mood to talk to me?" Kuroo asked quietly, "I'm chattier than Tsukki, aren't I?"

He watched as Twix hopped down from the bed, prancing out of the room. Breakfast. Kuroo stretched as he left for the bathroom. He would brush his teeth, wash his face, put in his eye-drops, and then he would stare into the mirror.

"It's dull," he mumbled as he looked at his left eye behind the frames, "Don't worry Kuroo. It'll become better when you get surgery. Just a little bit longer.. okay?"

He pumped his fists up as he reassured himself in the mirror. Kuroo would then move to the kitchen, putting his slippers on as he went out to take the dogs on their walk. Once they came back, he would give the pets their food. Boba would lick his face as a thank you, while Goldie would paw at him for some pats.

"You've been eating better recently," Kuroo smiled as he rubbed her head, "Go ahead and eat to your hearts content. You've got to be strong to give him a warm welcome when he comes back."

Goldie would then go and eat. Kuroo would leave them alone, going to prepare himself a somewhat filling breakfast. A smoothie bowl. He'd blend some fruits and yogurt together, adding solid fruit and granola to the bowl. He'd eat it clean, wash the bowl, and then go back to his room. Kuroo would get changed to go to the hospital.

Today's outfit: cherry red t-shirt, light black pants with ocean waves at the bottom, his yellow converse, and the bracelet that Tsukishima gave him. He would clip it on the opposite hand that his mark was on. 

Kuroo rarely stared at his mark anymore. He knew it would always be there.

He'd then grab his backpack that he would always take with him. Crosswords, books, water, a snack, his medication.... everything he needed in order to sustain himself for the long days he stayed at the hospital. Kuroo would give the pets once more goodbye as he left the apartment. He would go downstairs, walking a little further to wait at the bus stop. Kuroo would rock back and forth on his heels until the bus came. Once it came, he would get on and ride it all the way to Sakonoshita Hospital. He'd get off at the bus stop closest to it, walking a few more blocks till he arrived at the entrance. Kuroo would walk to the front desk and check in.

"Good morning Kuroo," the receptionist would smile, "I'll put you under the visiting list for Tsukishima Kei as always. Are you spending planning to spend the night here again?"

"Not today," he'd reply as he placed the visiting sticker on his chest, "Have a nice day!"

He would walk around for a little bit until he found his favorite vending machine. The canned coffee tasted better from that one than all the others. He would buy one, holding the can in his hands as he walked to Tsukishima's room. There was always at least one nurse or worker staring and gossiping about him when he came around. 

"Who's that?" some nurse murmured to her co-worker.

"Oh, him? That's Kuroo Tetsurou. He was admitted here for his eye. He's getting surgery on it once he finishes his last rounds of medication."

"He's handsome. Ah... if only we could date our patients."

"Don't bother, honey. He comes here everyday to see his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah... the poor thing. He's been in a comma for six months. We don't know if he'll wake up, but Kuroo always comes around to check in on him. He even stays over night sometimes. He's really dedicated to him."

"What a shame."

January, February, March, April, May, and June.

It was already summer and Tsukishima hasn't woken up. Kuroo wasn't going to give up on him though. He was going to stay as long as he possibly could and wait. He would keep waiting for any sort of sign of Tsukishima coming back to life. 

As Kuroo stepped up to Tsukishima's room, he sighed out.

Here we go. Another long day of hoping.

He slid the door open, stepping in and closing it behind him. As he looked up to see Tsukishima, he felt his eyebrows furrowing deeply. 

"Who are you?" he asked quietly.

There was someone else in the room. Normally, it was just Kuroo who visited Tsukishima. This time, there was an older man sitting there. Well, not that old. Maybe just one or two years older than him. He had sandy colored hair, tired and worn out eyes looking up at him. The man's eyes narrowed as he looked at Tsukishima. He stood up from the chair next to Tsukishima's bed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Maybe that's what I should be asking," the man cautiously replied, "Are you one of my brother's friends?"

Brother-

Oh.

"Ah. You must be Akiteru," Kuroo realized, "You do look like you're related to Tsukki. It's nice to meet you."

"Again... who are you?" Akiteru asked.

Kuroo ran his hand through his hair, "I'm Kuroo Tetsurou.... Tsukishima's boyfriend."

"B-boyfriend?" Akiteru stuttered, "No way. Kei always said that he would never date."

Kuroo pulled out his phone, "Well, I guess I'm the only exception."

He proceeded to show Akiteru photos he had of him and Tsukishima. Some photos they took at home, some they took on the outings they went to, and finally, the one that he received from his first date. The girl who took their pictures had edited them so beautifully. He smiled as he started to recall the warm memories.

"Kei... he looks so happy," Akiteru warmly smiled.

Kuroo left the phone with Akiteru as he sat on the other side of Tsukishima's bed. He looked at Tsukishima, the blond hair being slightly ruffled. Kuroo reached over to him, slightly fixing Tsukishima's hair until it looked alright. He let his hand drop away from Tsukishima's face, placing it gently on top of the hand that was resting at his side. Akiteru stared at him as he did all that, putting Kuroo's phone down on the bed.

"Did you know about what happened to him?" Kuroo gently asked.

Akiteru sighed as he looked at Tsukishima, "Yeah... I come early in the mornings, but I usually stay for a little while. One of his friends told me about what happened.... but they never mentioned you."

"Probably because of my eye," Kuroo responded as he pointed to his left eye, "I was going through treatment for this injury. Maybe they didn't want you to see me at my worst."

"Agent work," Akiteru muttered, "We didn't approve of Kei being in this field. He insisted on it though. He was so insistent on it that our mother almost threatened to throw him out of the house. She didn't though... she ended up supporting him. He is her son after all, so of course she would do that. Kei didn't really bat an eye at what I thought. He just continued to do it... even thought I kept telling him to get out of the field."

"Well.... he lost trust in you," Kuroo murmured as he looked down at Akiteru's arms. The tangled lines were there, "You hurt him..."

"I know I did. I thought we were starting to get somewhere though," Akiteru sighed, "He had been starting to contact me before all of this went down. Kei was starting to open up again.... I guess that was because you came into his life. Then this happened," he gestured to Tsukishima, "I-... I really wished that he picked a different field. This would have never happened."

"If he wasn't in the field, I wouldn't even be here," Kuroo smiled sadly, "I'm an agent too. Your brother shot me in the shoulder when we first met!"

"Oh my god.... I'm so sorry-"

"It's alright," Kuroo chuckled, "If we hadn't met each other during that mission, I wouldn't even be with Tsukishima. He may have continued to close himself in, you wouldn't have contact with him.... none of this would have happened if he wasn't in the field. I'm happy that he's in the agent work.... I'm only upset that it came to this. It's my fault. I should have stopped him from jumping in."

The two sat in silence for a while. 

"Are you his soulmate?" Akiteru asked out of the blue.

Kuroo nodded, "Yeah. I'm his soulmate. It took a while to be with him though."

Akiteru smiled, "If it isn't too much, can I see your mark?" he asked, curiously eyeing his arms and hands. 

Kuroo extended his right hand out, "It's right across the fingers.... since the first touch was a punch. It's a circle."

"Red and gold," Akiteru hummed, "I've never seen a multi-colored mark in person. It's pretty."

Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows, "Red and gold? No... it's black."

He pulled his hand back to stare at his mark. He expected to see the familiar black circle on his hand. How could a mark change? The only times the changed was with rejection or death. Rejection was the tangled mark. When a soulmate dies, the mark is slashed with a red line. A multi-colored mark? Kuroo never heard of such thing. Kuroo put his fingers together, connecting the lines to become a circle.

It was red and gold.

"Huh?" he asked aloud, "How... how?"

Kuroo stood up to check Tsukishima's arms. He stared at the forearms, spotting the same circle on Tsukishima.

Red and gold.

"What does this mean?" Kuroo started to panic, "Is... is this like... a pre-death phase?"

Akiteru shook his head, "No. Don't worry. I know what it is."

"You do?"

The man sat up straight, "It's the Genuine Mark," he smiled, "You've really sealed the deal with my little brother."

"Huh?" Kuroo repeated like a broken record, "I don't... I don't understand. What's that?"

"Fate is what puts us up with our soulmates, right?" Akiteru explained, "However, marks are still able to change into a tangled mark. The tangled mark usually is a symbol of a mistake or uncertainty. The mark can change easily. Of course, fate is usually right. There are just some cases in which fate was dead on. It matched two people so perfectly together... so nicely... that the meeting of those two people completely changed each others worlds."

Akiteru looked at Kuroo, "You've changed Tsukishima life so much, and he changed yours too. You two... built something strong. Maybe it's because he took that bullet for you... or maybe it's because you stayed all this time. You soulmate connection found your love to be so genuine and strong.... that it gave you the will to feel each others emotional pains."

Kuroo's eyes widened. Was... was that the weird dream he saw when he first woke up in the hospital?

"Did you feel something weird before?" Akiteru asked, "Anything in your head?"

"Yeah... it was when I first woke up. It disappeared pretty quickly though. I haven't felt anything since."

"It's because Tsukishima is in a comma.... if Tsukishima could feel your pain, you two would have noticed it right away. The multi-colored mark is the symbol that you two can feel both emotional and physical pain. Who knows if it's a blessing or a curse.... but it really does mean that your relationship is meant to last. Fate has secured you two to each other for life."

Kuroo found himself smiling. He looked down at Tsukishima, "Stuck with me for life, Tsukki. I hope you're ready for that when you wake up."

Akiteru smiled. Kuroo ended up talking to him for longer. He told him of how their relationship started, the bad things of it, the good times.... Kuroo was smiling the whole way through. Akiteru soon looked down at his watch, telling him that he had to leave for work. Kuroo waved goodbye as he watched the man leave, his shoulders completely relaxed as he looked at Kuroo on last time.

He took that as a sign that Akiteru trusted him with Tsukishima.

As the hours passed on, Kuroo went through many crosswords and chapters of his books. He eventually went back to his phone, scrolling through the various photos he had. He smiled softly as he looked through them, more sweet memories entering his thoughts.

His thumb hovered over one particular photo. 

It was their first date. The last photo that the girl took.... Kuroo was pressing a smiling kiss on Tsukishima's cheek. The blond was flustered, but he was gently smiling and laughing from embarrassment. He felt his mouth twitching, his smile crumpling down. Oh... 

He really missed him.

Drops of water fell on his phone screen. Kuroo let out a pathetic laugh.

"Tetsurou... you haven't cried in a long time," he told himself as he pushed up his glasses to wipe his eyes, "What happened to being strong? Hm?"

He slid down his chair, kneeling down next to the bed. Kuroo took Tsukishima's hand in his, slipping his fingers in between the limp hand. Tears kept falling down on their own. Kuroo shook his head slightly, squeezing his eyes tightly to get the last of the tears out.

"Kei... I'll wait no matter what," he murmured, "But please... wake up... I really can't wait to see you again. We got the Genuine Mark.... your brother came by too. I think he's approving of me, thank goodness. A lot has happened too.... so come back to us, alright? It's been way too long..."

Kuroo bit his lip as a sob tried to escape his throat. His glasses were still pushed up on his head as he lowered his face onto the bed. He could feel the sheets under him getting damp from his tears. Wake up... wake up....

Something twitched in his hand. Ah... he was already shaking. 

Another twitch.

And another.

Something softly tapped against his hand.

Kuroo blinked quickly. 

"K..."

He lifted his head up slowly, wiping away his tears with his free hand. He lowered his glasses back down, staring at his hand.

The pale fingers were closed around it.

His eyes moved up at he looked at Tsukishima's face. A steady flow of tears were streaming down his face, his eyelids twitching open and close. His mouth was cracked open, weak sounds coming out of it. His gaze was set on Kuroo, staring at him in disbelief. There was a grogginess in his face.... but he still tried hard to say at least one word.

"Ku.." he tried to speak out, his voice dryer than ever, "Ku.....roo."

Tsukishima frame shook as more tears spilled out involuntarily. Kuroo felt those waves of pain across his head again as that sob came out of his mouth. He smiled widely as he looked at Tsukishima, his eyes moving back and forth as his mind was processing everything.

He was up.

He was awake.

Kuroo reached up to wipe away Tsukishima's tears. Tsukishima's face twitched at the touch, his eyelashes fluttering at it. A few more drops fell out. Kuroo couldn't even stop himself from sobbing.

"Kei... Kei, Kei!" he cried out, "You're back... you're back.... finally!"

He smiled as he looked fondly at his boyfriend.

"I've been waiting for so long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting real close to the end my friends. There's only a few more chapters left in this story :(  
> I hope all of you stick around till the very end.


	62. Square One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima wakes up.

_Something odd was happening._

_The darkness had faded away, a light blue sky now replacing his view. There was something cool underneath him.... was it water? Yes. Water was lapping at his body, the coolness refreshing him. Tsukishima just laid there, allowing his clothes to be soaked by the calmness of the atmosphere. He sighed softly as he stared up at the sky. He narrowed his eyes as something appeared into view._

_A red and gold string._

_His eyes followed the string as it looped around, soon floating down to his forearm. He lifted his arm up, staring at the place where the string touched his skin._

_His mark?_

_Tsukishima tilted his head as he stared at the circle. It was now red and gold.... the black was gone. He looked at his arm on all sides. Everything else was normal. The mark was the only thing that changed._

_Suddenly, the string wrapped around his arm, tugging harshly at it. Tsukishima sat up as the string kept tugging at him. He looked ahead of him, the long floating string hanging further and further away. There was a bright light where the string ended._

_But it was so calm here.... it was relaxing...._

_He slowly stood up, some water dripping down his hair. Tsukishima slowly walked closer to the bright light, the water beneath him splashing with his every step. Tsukishima halted as he felt something coming over his head._

_Pain._

_It borderline agonizing.... like a deep sorrow. Tsukishima vision became blurry as he stared back at the light. Was that death? Was he going to die?_

_"Kei..."_

_A voice came in that direction. It was soft... but it was cracking at the seams. It sounded so familiar...._

_He took more steps towards the light._

_"Please... wake up... I really can't wait to see you again...."_

_The voice became louder. More tears spilled over his face as he got closer and closer. The pain in his head raged against his skull, his temples throbbing from the hot blood pounding in his head._

_"It's been way too long..."_

_Tsukishima's eyes widened as one final wave of pain came over him._

_"Kuroo," he whispered._

_He stayed._

_The water jumped up as Tsukishima ran, following the string towards the light. He stayed.... he's still there. He has no idea what happened.... but it felt like it's been ages since he's seen him. Tsukishima extended his arm out to the light. It disappeared as it went deeper into the brightness._

_Hang on.... I'll meet you there._

_I'm still here._

It took many tries for Tsukishima to open his eyes. As his eyelids slowly opened up, a warm light was seeping into his sight. His eyes narrowed and widened as he readjusted to his surroundings. It was a cream colored room. He could hearing the sounds of machines whirring around. He looked to his right, but no one was there. Tsukishima couldn't move his legs... his hands twitched slightly.

As he moved his eyes to his left side, he saw that familiar mess of hair.

The moment he locked on with the top of Kuroo's head, the tears came out. A small pain was tapping at his head. He couldn't stop crying.... why was he crying?

Tsukishima watched as Kuroo's back hitched up and then back down. What... what happened-

Oh.

He was shot.... the last thing he remembered was being in the Ushijima residence.

How long was he out?

The corner of Tsukishima's lip twitched as he focused on his left hand. Kuroo was holding it.... he had to let him know that he was here. Move. Move! He blinked quickly to get rid of the tears that blurred his vision. He could feel his bones creak as he managed to move his fingers, slowly but surely linking with Kuroo's hand. It took a lot of strength to tap against Kuroo's hand.

Kuroo's back suddenly stopped to hitch. A little more... c'mon.

Tsukishim opened his mouth, small sounds coming out of it. It was really dry.... he could feel his lips cracking as he tried to say on syllable. Oh, come on!

"K..."

Yes. There we go. Kuroo lifted his head up, pushing down a pair of glasses that Tsukishima had never seen. Tsukishima stared at him, noticing that one of his eyes were a duller whiskey color than the other. Right... he got slashed. 

But he's still there.

Another heavy stream of tears fell down his face, that pain still tapping against his head. 

"Ku... Kuroo."

There... it came out of his mouth. His body shook as a breathed out, the tears still falling down his face.

The pain got stronger as Kuroo let out a sob. He looked at Tsukishima's face in disbelief, but a small smile cracked out of his lips. The smile became wider as he reached over to Tsukishima's face. Tsukishima's eyelids twitched at Kuroo's gentle touch, but his gaze stayed on Kuroo. 

"Kei... Kei, Kei!" Kuroo happily cried out as he looked at him, "You're back... you're back... finally!"

Tsukishima wanted to smile as he saw the warmest look plastered on Kuroo's face.

"I've been waiting for so long," Kuroo whispered. 

Everything was slightly blurry since he didn't have his glasses on, but he could tell that Kuroo's face was lit up.

Tsukishima wanted to talk, but only croaks came out of him. Kuroo let go of Tsukishima's hand, getting up and opening the door. He called for the doctors, telling them that Tsukishima had finally woken up. There were some audible gasps, the sound of running foot steps pounding on the floor. Kuroo stepped aside as two nurses and a doctor came in, checking vitals and all his other monitors. The doctor shined a light in his eyes. After he placed it down, the doctor held up his finger to Tsukishima's face, instructing him to follow it.

His eyes slowly moved from left to right.

The doctor the asked him if he remembered his name. 

"Tsu... Tsuki..shi..ma...Kei," he managed to get out. A small cough came out of him. 

The nurses and doctors smiled, "Good. He really is awake."

"What goes on from here?" Kuroo asked.

"It's been six months.... he'll have to get used to walking and moving again. We'll go through physical therapy in order to get him back into shape. He seems to remember some things since he recognized you. We can always check for memory loss, but I'm sure that he'll be just fine in a month."

Kuroo nodded as the doctors continued to explain a few more things. Tsukishma stared back up at the ceiling.

Six months?

Half a year....

No wonder why he couldn't move or talk. It really has been that long? That probably means that he missed a lot. 

Kuroo soon sat down next to him. He relayed to him a few more instructions, giving Tsukishima water and soon pulling out Tsukishima's glasses from the nightstand next to the bed. Kuroo stood up slightly to put them on his face.

Better. Everything was now clear.

"They're going to wait a while until they start physical therapy. You need to regain some strength," he continued, his hand brushing Tsukishima's hair to the side. Kuroo sat back down, pushing up his own glasses. Tsukishima had managed to tilt his head ever so slightly to the left, so now he had a better view of Kuroo.

He really looked different with glasses. One of his eyes was less pigmented than the other.

"Your... eye....?" Tsukishima quietly spoke. Good. His voice was slowly coming back. 

Kuroo touched his own face, "Ah. I need these glasses to see from my left eye. I'm not completely blind... but it's getting there. I'm getting surgery later this year. Soon I'll be bale to see you perfectly with out these glasses."

"Its... not a bad... look," Tsukishima gave a tiny smirk.

"I would still prefer to have both of my eyes," Kuroo smiled.

"Did... did I miss... anything?"

Kuroo sighed out, "Let's see. I'm partially blind, you've been gone for six months, Oikawa and Suga got together, Hinata and Kenma finally stopped pinning each other, and there's a bet going on that Iwaizumi or Daichi are going to propose to one another this year."

Tsukishima hummed quietly, "Nothing... out of the ordinary..."

"Well... your brother came to visit."

"Akiteru...? Yamaguchi... must have told... him."

"He's hoping to see you again. I had a nice talk with him. He's happy that you're starting to open up to him."

Tsukishima slightly nodded. Before everything went down, he mustered up the courage to call up his brother. It just started out as a normal conversation. As it went on, Akiteru eventually started to apologize. Tsukishima just heard him out and accepted it. He was starting to heal from that lie. After all, he was experiencing being with his soulmate. Tsukishima was saving that conversation for another day though.

He was glad that his brother came to visit.

"That's not all though," Kuroo continued, "Something happened to us as well..."

Kuroo showed Tsukishima his mark. There it was. The same old red and gold circle.

Wait- red and gold?

"Huh?" Tsukishima softly said, a slight tone of surprise in his voice.

"I know... I just noticed it this morning."

Tsukishima moved his gaze down to his arms. He could already see his mark. Sure enough, it was also red and gold. 

It was the same colors of that string he saw before he woke up. 

"What... what is that... supposed to.. mean?" he asked.

"You were crying once you woke up," Kuroo noted, "That's my fault. If you happened to feel any waves of pain in your head, congratulations! You felt my internal pain! We are now connected by physical and emotional pain. Surprise!"

Tsukishima stared blankly at Kuroo. Connected by emotional pain? What? Unless...  
  
His eyes widened in realization.

”You...you mean that we...we... got that second mutation?” he asked quietly, “The one that’s rarer....than the Tangled mark?”

”Yes. The Genuine Mark. I’m guessing it decided to form because you stepped in to take the bullet for me...”

Kuroo smiled softly at him, “We really are that in love with each other, hm?”

Tsukishima just looked at him. He didn’t have to say anything. Kuroo already knew. The mark forms because of a genuine love and bond. It's when the connection can sense that the relationship will go a long way: when fate knows that it did something right.

So he didn't have to say anything. They both knew very well... even if they didn't express it completely.

Silence passed on as they simply looked at each other. After a while, the door slid open as a flood of people came in. Tsukishima looked over to see Akaashi and Bokuto run in, followed by a few others. Hinata, Yamaguchi, Kageyama, Yachi....

A lot of people. Kuroo must have texted them when he was with the doctors.

"Finally!" Akaashi sighed out as he rubbed his eyes, "Thank goodness.... I thought we would have to wait longer."

Bokuto grinned, "It's great to see you awake. Kuroo's been having a hard time these past few months."

"Tsukki! Don't scare us like that again!" Yamaguchi and Yachi cried out as they leaned over the bed, checking to see if Tsukishima really was awake. They continued to blabber things as the others smiled.

He was missed. They really did miss him.

"I'm... fine guys," Tsukishima reassured, "Just... need some therapy... that's all."

"So we're back to square one," Akaashi noted, "You have to learn how to move properly again."

"And I'll be here all the way," Kuroo added, "I've waited six months for you. I can wait another or more if I have to."

There was some faking gagging from Hinata and Kageyama, probably because of Kuroo's cheesy lines. Kuroo rolled his eyes at it with a smile. Tsukishima looked up at the ceiling once more as everyone started to talk among themselves. 

Square one.

He sighed softly. It wasn't going to be easy.... relearning how to walk. Six months... that meant that his bones and muscles were practically at the edge of crumbling down into pieces. It would be weeks on those two bars and using elastic bands to exercise his limbs. It may even take longer. He didn't care though. Tsukishima had to go back outside. He had to get out there....

Tsukishima never missed living a life this much before.

If he was the person he was in the past, he probably wouldn't have mind being out for so long. Maybe he would even consider it as a break. It's not like he forced himself to do much.... he just managed to stay in the line of doing "enough". As his life went on though... he found himself trying harder and harder than ever before. 

He had someone to fight for.

He _found_ someone to fight for. 

So he would try his hardest.

Even if he had to go back to square one over and over again... he would try his hardest to get back out there and live the life he had been missing for half a year.

And square one was very hard to move from.

As he slowly regained his strength, the doctors introduce him to the familiar movements he learn when he grew up. He would hold that elastic band as they stretched out his arms and his legs. He would curl up and then uncoil. They would work out his wrists and fingers. They'd gently move his head from side to side, and soon he would be able to roll around his neck. 

Walking.... was harder than it seemed.

The nurse would support him from behind as he held onto those two bars, toddling forward with sluggish movements. He'd hiss as he stumbled, barely catching himself before he fell. One day, he took a knee to the ground, staring down at the floor in frustration. There was that tapping pain in his head. 

Dammit.

"Can I try?" 

He looked up as he heard Kuroo talking to the nurse. The nurse looked back at Tsukishima, giving a soft smile and nod as she stepped to the side. Kuroo soon went around the bars, kneeling down behind him. 

"C'mon, you've got to get back up," he murmured softly as he hoisted Tsukishima back to his feet, "It's okay to fall... take your time."

Tsukishima gripped the bars once more. Right.... right.... he was trying his hardest wasn't he? Right... he had to get back out there.

No matter how long it took.

Once more he started with those stumbling movements as Kuroo supported him from behind. One step at a time. Move forward....

"There we go," Kuroo encouraged, "That's it. You're doing great."

The tapping pain melted away as he made it to the end of the walking path. He sighed out as he looked at the wall in front of him. There. He made it. Even if it was stumbling and staggering, he made it to the end.

"That wasn't so bad. You did it," Kuroo said with a tone of pride, "Soon enough you'll be able to walk along this path without anyone supporting you."

"That's the goal Kuroo," Tsukishima huffed out.

"I know. I know, Tsukki. I can't wait till we can go back home... together."

Today, he had stepped ever so slightly out square one. Finally.

He was getting there.

Tsukishima was moving a few inches back into life.

Kuroo helped Tsukishima turn around to face him, Tsukishima's hands still gripping the bars as he stared into Kuroo's eyes.

He could feel a slight smile curling his face.

"I can't wait to go home too, Kuroo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chill chapter :)  
> Two more and then this story is complete.


	63. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mi casa es tu casa.

Almost a month later, Tsukishima was standing at the end of the hallway where his room was. A nurse stood by his side as she gripped his arm.

At the center of the hallway, Kuroo stood with another nurse, who had walking crutches in her hands. Those must be for if he falls. Kuroo gave a thumbs up to Tsukishima, grinning widely as he watched him from across the hall. The doctor who was next to Kuroo also gave an encouraging nod.

Here goes nothing. If he could walk to Kuroo without stumbling....

He could be discharged today. Everything else was already set.

"Are you ready?" the nurse asked kindly. 

Tsukishima nodded firmly. 

The nurse let go of his arm. Tsukishima sighed out loud. Finding the center of balance was key. He's done this a million times on those bars, so he could do it again without them. It was just walking... once he's done this he could go back outside. 

He held out his hands in front of him as he stepped forward. Good. Another step. Another. Another.... find that flowing rhythm you've walked to for years.

Tsukishima walked across the hallway smoothly. He soon placed his hands down on his sides. Tsukishima still stared down at his feet as he walked. His leg buckled for a split second, but he recovered quickly as he finally made it to Kuroo.

The nurses clapped a little. Kuroo enveloped him in a hug.

"Congrats, you've learned how to walk again!" Kuroo grinned as he swayed him from side to side. 

"Finally," Tsukishima sighed out, "No more bars. I'm starting to get annoyed every time I see any sort of metal bar."

"I'll fill out the last of the papers," Kuroo smiled as he pushed himself away from him, looking up at Tsukishima's face, "That's alright, right? He's good to go?" Kuroo asked as he turned to face the doctor. Tsukishima rolled his eyes slightly. Kuroo was more excited for him to leave the hospital than anyone else was. 

"Your hard work payed off," the doctor smiled, "I'll take care of things with your guardian. You can go and collect your things in your room."

Kuroo patted Tsukishima's shoulders, "My backpack. That's where your change of clothes are."

"Your hopes were really high today," Tsukishima noted as he turned around, "I'll be back."

Tsukishima left Kuroo to the papers. He walked back to his room, still looking down at his feet as he continued down the hallway. He made it to his room, sliding the door open and stepping into the room. He wouldn't have to see this room any longer. Even though he had been unconscious for most of his time here, the room was getting stuffier as the days passed on. Tsukishima walked over to the neatly tended bed where Kuroo's backpack was.

"Hm. The key chain we got at the festival is still there," he said to himself as he unzipped Kuroo's backpack, the little blackberry cat key chain jostling around. He took out his clothes and shoes, laying them out on the bed.

"Not bad. The jean shorts are a demon purchase on my half... but it is hot outside," Tsukishima told himself as he looked out the window. It was very sunny outside. An hour going back in the day meant longer sunlight. Summer. He still couldn't believe that it was summer. He missed all of spring and the rest of winter.

He soon got changed into his clothes: light green t-shirt with a little pocket dinosaur, the jean shorts, his old Adidas Superstar shoes, and the bracelet he bought from the festival. Simple.

Tsukishima looked into the bag as he started to zip it back up. There were bottle of medication sitting at the bottom of the bag. He shook his head as he closed the backpack all the way. So much medication because of an eye. It was probably pain relief pills and eye drops....

Must have been hard to deal with all of this in the beginning of the new year.

Tsukishima slung the backpack over his shoulder, leaving that hospital room behind. Tsukishima closed the door behind him, walking out into the hallway and to the desk at the end of the hallway. Kuroo placed the pen down on a clipboard, smiling at the receptionist as he said some thank yous. He soon turned to Tsukishima, that cheesy smile on his face as he gestured to the doors of the elevator.

"Let's get out of here," Kuroo smiled as he took Tsukishima hand, tugging him out towards the exit. Tsukishima waved a quick goodbye to the receptionist as Kuroo pulled him into the elevator. After a short ride down, the two went out the doors, the sunlight hitting their faces as they finally stepped out of the hospital they've been in for so long.

"Yes!" Kuroo exhaled as he outstretched his arms, "The outdoors.... I've missed this."

"Kuroo... you act like you were the one who's been stuck in the hospital for half a year," Tsukishima joked, "Remember? I'm the one who was out cold and on the edge of death?"

"Tsukki, I know that. I'm just happy because I haven't been outside in a while... with you," Kuroo smiled. 

Tsukishima cocked one of his eyebrows up, "Are you saying that really haven't been getting your sunlight.... because of me?"

"Well..."

"Kuroo."

"Hey, I've been taking care of myself," Kuroo retorted, "I take my medication, I eat, I go outside for at least an hour-"

"Kuroo."

Kuroo tapped his fingers together, "It was worse in the beginning. You should be proud that I at least got this much into self-care."

Tsukishima sighed heavily. He knew that Kuroo had a hard time, but just how hard of a time was it?

"Anyways, we're not going straight home," Kuroo clapped as he nodded towards a nearby market, "We need groceries. The fridge is empty, you were probably sick of hospital food, and I haven't cooked a full meal in a while. We're eating good tonight."

"Wait... didn't you just say that you've been eating?"

"Tsukki. A smoothie bowl and a salad a day is still something. Not to mention healthy snacks! Food is food, so I didn't lie about eating something," Kuroo chirped as he walked towards the market. 

Tsukishima gave another sigh as he followed Kuroo. He realized that he really didn't ask much to Kuroo about what had been going on with him. He could ask about it once they got home. 

Huh.

Tsukishima had been saying "their home" this whole time. He used to say "his apartment". At some point, he started to say "theirs" more often. He started to refer to his apartment as "their home". A shared place... something much more than just a shelter. 

Home.

Even thinking of the word made him recall past memories.

Home.

He was finally going home. 

* * *

As they got off the bus stop by their apartment, Kuroo watched as Tsukishima walked up to a capsule machine. The blond set down the bags he carried as he stared at the pictures. There was a small convenience store near the bus stop, which had a few toy capsules on the outside of the store. 

"You're into collecting these?" Kuroo asked as he looked into the machines, shrugging up his backpack full of groceries. 

Tsukishima tapped against one certain machine, "I have all of these except for the stegosaurus. What's a series without a stegosaurus?" he huffed out, "I'll come by later. I'm just glad they didn't change out the machines."

Tsukishima soon moved away from the capsules and started walking back home. Kuroo narrowed his eyes at the capsule machines as he pulled out his pocket change.

"You better give me that stegosaurus or so help me," Kuroo threatened the machine as he placed in the amount needed. He squeezed his eyes as he twisted the little knob, hearing a soft thunk in the pit where the prize comes out.

"Oh? Two!" Kuroo exclaimed as he took out two colorful capsules from the machine. He stood up, opening the blue capsule first.

Nice. There was that little stegosaurus figurine. He closed it back up and stuffed it in his pocket.

The other one....

"Ha!" Kuroo laughed as he looked in the capsule, "Now that is fine jewelry."

It was a dinosaur ring. A brontosaurus ring with the tail curling around at the end. Even for a plastic ring, it didn't look that bad. He'll give it to Tsukishima later.

Kuroo ran to catch up to Tsukishima. He screeched to a halt as he got to his side, pulling out the blue capsule and holding it up. Tsukishma stopped at his side as he looked at the capsule, a smile twitching at the corner of his lips. 

"It's the stegosaurus," Kuroo huffed as he caught his breath.

Tsukishima took the capsule and opened it up, "Collection complete," he replied as he closed it after looking at the little figurine, "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to though," Kuroo smiled.

The two walked back to the apartment building. They went up those same old steps as they made it to the fourth floor. A little farther down, and there was apartment number five. Kuroo pulled out the keys to the door, unlocking the entrance to the apartment. He pushed the door open, the two stepping in and taking off their shoes as they always would. 

As soon as they closed the door, the dogs jumped onto Tsukishima. 

"Oh it really had been so long!" Tsukishima gasped as he looked down at Goldie. He knelt down, setting the bags down to ruffle Goldie's ears, "Look at you. You've grown up too fast," he mumured as Goldie licked his face. Boba licked the other side of his face, while Twix squeezed herself in to rub against Tsukishima's legs.

"They really missed you," Kuroo chuckled, "Twix would always sleep on your side of the bed and Goldie would be waiting outside your room. Boba would sit on the couch spot you'd sit in as well."

"I missed them too," Tsukishima sighed softly as he got back up, "I didn't think I would miss all this fur sticking to my clothes."

Kuroo smiled as he planted a kiss on Tsukishima's forehead, "I'll get dinner started."

Spaghetti. Classic dinner.

Kuroo took the bags and the backpack, emptying out their purchases onto the kitchen table. Tomatoes, onions, olive oil, garlic, spaghetti noodle, some fresh herbs, and a couple of other things. It wasn't hard to cook... but it definitely took a little longer for him to do so. He had to be careful since his precision wasn't as good as it was before.

A few chops, dicing, sautes, mixing, and boilings later.... it was done. A long process, but it was done.

"Tsukki, can you plate this please?" Kuroo asked he started to feel dryness in his eyes, "I have to take care of this thing."

"I got it. Any particular drink?"

"Lemon water if you don't mind," Kuroo replied as he went to the bathroom. He went to the sink, grabbing his prescribed eye drops that sat in the corner. He took off his glasses, tilting his head back to drop them into his eyes. He sighed as he put the eye dropper back down, looking into the mirror at his blurry self.

He wished the year would go by faster. His eye problem was starting to get irritating.

Kuroo soon joined Tsukishima back at the kitchen table, the plates and drinks being neatly place across from each other. Kuroo sat down across from Tsukishima, gesturing to him to take the first bite. 

Tsukishima took the first bite of that heaping pile. Kuroo tilted his head back and forth as Tsukishima chewed on it for a rather long time. Did he lose his touch? It's true that he didn't cook for two servings in a while, but it couldn't be that bad, right?

He swallowed and poked his fork back into the spaghetti, "I dare to say that I missed this cooking more than anything else."

Kuroo sighed in relief. Good. He didn't lose his touch.

"Wait. Are you saying that you're dating me for my cooking and not my personality?" Kuroo teased, "Tsukki! That's a little mean."

"But I'm still here, so that means you're doing something right," Tsukishima smirked. 

They ate in a comfortable silence. It felt like it was just any other day in their lives. They soon finished off their plates, Kuroo taking them to clean the dishes. He stared into the sink as he washed away the messes left over. It really was like any other day. 

But something was tapping at the back of his head. Kuroo furrowed his eyebrows as the tapping continued. It was painful.... it was rather soft and smooth. Nonetheless, it was still a tapping sensation on his head. 

Kuroo looked up at Tsukishima, who was staring at him from the kitchen table. He had his eyes narrowed at him, looking into him as if he was searching for some sort of answer. 

"Is something wrong?" they asked each other at the same time.

Kuroo shook the water off of his hands as he went to sit down. Tsukishima kept looking at him, still searching for an answer.

"Kei?"

"Worry," Tsukishima blurted out as he looked Kuroo directly in his eyes, "Soft tapping is worry.... and I'm guessing it's mine."

"Is something bothering you?" Kuroo asked as he clasped his hands together.

Tsukishima rubbed the back of his neck, "You."

"Me?"

"Well... not exactly. I've just been thinking about something," Tsukishima sighed out, "You didn't exactly told me how you were the whole time I was out. You said you missed me... but you didn't talk about yourself. You don't want to say anything about it?"

Oh.

Kuroo clasped and unclapsed his hands, "I was avoiding going deeper into that.... but if it would make you feel better, I'll tell you."

Tsukishima nodded.

He sighed deeply, "It was really hard. If I'm being honest, I fainted the first time I saw you in bed rest. I fainted a lot of times now that I think about it. Stress. Stress overload. I was stressing over myself and you. Everything was so much to take in."

The soft tapping started to get harder. It was changing to Kuroo's emotional feelings.

"It was terrifying.... just one day you can see out of both eyes, and you're with your lover.... but the next day, everything just spirals downwards. I had to wear an eye patch for a while, but on occasions I'd take it off. Everything on one side would be like a broken film.... some what clear but it was still a fading grey picture. Not to mention that I wasn't allowed to see you for most of my treatment. Everyone was worried that my stress levels would just increase more than they were already."

"Kuroo..."

He felt his fingers starting to shake, " At one point, I started thinking way too deeply into things. One day, it just hopped into the thought of you breaking up with me. Then I realized something."

He looked up at Tsukishima, "I really wouldn't survive it you left me. Comma or not."

Tsukishima frowned.

"Everything just became harder. That thought just stuck in the back of my head for a while. My oncoming blindness would already be a hassle.... most people leave because of hassles like that. I don't know if I was becoming sentimental because you and I were hospitalized... but I was worrying a lot about that. I had some doubts for a moment. That's mostly why I wanted you to wake up sooner... so that I could show you that I was fine. That I still kept my promises about staying. It was a hard time... but I'm okay now. See?"

"Tetsurou."

Kuroo looked up at Tsukishima. 

"You know when I said, "I love you", I meant it, right?" Tsukishima reassured, "It may have been my possible end, but people say the truth in moments of peril. I said, "I'll see you later", for a reason too, right?" 

Tsukishima scooted his chair over to Kuroo's side, sitting down next to him, "I'm not leaving. Ever."

"Tsukki..."

"We've said "forever and always". You literally risked your life half of the time we were together. I took a freaking bullet for you! Just because you're becoming blind doesn't mean I'll go. You've waited for me for half a year.... of course I'm going to stay."

"Kei," Kuroo murmured as he leaned against him, "You mean it? Stuck together?"

"This mark says so itself," Tsukishima sighed softly, "Stuck together."

A moment of quietness. The tapping died down.

"You know... I said that I missed a lot of things, but there's one thing I forgot," Tsukishima spoke up.

"Home?" Kuroo guessed.

"Basically the same thing.... it's you. I've forgotten how much these small moments meant to me," Tsukishima softly said, "Home is where you are. Even when we were together at the hospital... it felt somewhat like home, even if it was stuffy. You just made any place a little bit better."

"You're my home too," Kuroo murmured in return, "I guess that's another reason why I wanted you to come back quickly.... I needed that warm shelter in my life again."

One more period of silence.

"Ah, I have something for you," Kuroo remembered as he reached into his pocket. He gave the other capsule to Tsukishima. The blond stared at it for a while, but he soon took it and opened it. A smile cracked on his face.

"Is this your proposal? We haven't even dated for a year," Tsukishima laughed as he took out the ring. He tried it on every finger, but it only rested comfortable on his ring finger. 

"No, but I can propose to you with it when the time comes," Kuroo smiled, "It's a gift. A welcoming gift."

Kuroo reached over to Tsukishima's face, turning it slightly so that Tsukishima would face him.

"I love you, so much. Welcome home, Kei."

"I love you too. It's great to be back, Tetsurou."

Kuroo leaned in for that sweet kiss, the familiar feeling flooding back into him. It really has been so long... too long. They started to push against each other, pulling away for a moment to get up from the chairs, the two breathing softly from the long kiss. Kuroo went back at it, holding Tsukishima close as they moved back into the hallways. Tsukishima lifted his arms to Kuroo's neck, wrapping them around him. Kuroo ended up lifting Tsukishima up as they moved into their room, a smile lingering on their faces as they continued with those sweet gestures. They closed the door softly behind them. 

A long night was coming on. But...

Kuroo didn't have to doubt anything anymore. Neither did Tsukishima. 

As the night went on, they both knew very well what their relationship had set for them. No more worries for their futures or fearing for one another leaving. They didn't have to think about that anymore.

Kuroo Tetsurou and Tsukishima Kei?

They were going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m the place you can go to  
> You’re the place I can come to  
> Because I’m your home  
> And you are mine  
> A place where I feel safe and where my heart can heal and rest. 
> 
> Next chapter is the last one!


	64. Soulmates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the chaos dies down forever, they decided to settle down.

**FIVE YEARS LATER**

"Three... two... one! Smile everybody!”

_Click._

Kuroo Tetsurou, now 33 years old, reach up to his face to rub his cheeks. They were sore from smiling at the camera for so long. He looked back up at the photographer, was was flipping through the pictures she took. The people on his sides sighed as they looked hopefully back at the photographer. 

"Please tell me that it's finally good to go," Kuroo crossed his fingers. They've been here for a while. Who knew that pictures took so long to take?

"Bokuto if you blinked in this one as well, I'm going to throw that wreath of flowers at you," Iwaizumi threatened, straightening out his tie as he glared at Bokuto.

"Hey, hey, hey! No sour faces today Iwaizumi," Bokuto grinned as he held up finger guns.

"Oh no!" the photographer gasped as she looked up from her camera.

Everyone held their breath.

"How can you guys look so perfect?!" she exaggerated as she walked over to them, walking up the small steps of the platform. She turned the camera to show Kuroo. There was that beautiful background, a cream colored room with tones of grey. The platform they stood on had some wide steps, some flower arrangements sitting at the ends of it. Behind them was a wall of flowers: daisies, daffodils, gardenias, and a few tiger lilies were scattered within pom pom chrysanthemums and bushels of fancy leaves, which dominated the wall. Kuroo stood in the middle of the photo, looking dapper in his black suit and white dress shirt. His tie was straightened this time- thank goodness. Everyone was smiling in their own suits. Dress code for his men: dark red velvet suits, black dress shirt, no tie, but there was a thin silver pin that adorned their suits along with a small red rose. 

No one blinked this time. Bingo! 

"Michimiya.... it's just right!" Kuroo sighed out happily, "I knew I could count on you."

"Well, I did take your photos for the past five years," Michimiya smiled, "You two always managed to catch my eye at the annual art festival. Not to mention.... I was the one who captured your proposal. I'm honored that you invited me to photograph your wedding!" 

Wedding day.

After six years of dating, he finally proposed. 

Kuroo had gotten his eye surgery, which was successful. He no longer needed to wear his glasses, but he still had to take in medication once in a while. His eyes were bright once more, and he could see everyone from both eyes. The years after that, he and Tsukishima built up their relationship, going through many ups and downs, but they were still together by the end of it.

So he sealed the deal.

Last year, at the annual art festival, Kuroo proposed in front of the mural Michiyama took their first pictures together. He proposed with that little plastic dino ring- no worries though, he had a real one- and Kuroo was the first one to start crying during his little speech.

They both ended up crying, but he said yes. Yes. That golden word. Kuroo couldn't believe that he was really getting married today.

He smiled at Michimiya, "Of course you're welcomed here. I wouldn't have even managed to get you here if Daichi didn't mention that he knew you," Kuroo laughed as he glanced over to Daichi, who was getting his hair fixed by Iwaizumi.

"Uncle Kuroo! Uncle Kuroo!"

Speaking of Daichi...

"Oh boy, I hear the sound of a little rascal," Kuroo smiled as he turned around. A little girl ran into his arms, Kuroo picking her up and spinning her around, "Hello little pumpkin, you trouble maker!" he chuckled as he carried her in his arms. The girl giggled as she look up at Kuroo, placing the flower crown she had in her hands on his head. Her blue eyes sparkled at him as she clapped.

"You look so pretty!" she gasped as she pointed at his head, "I made that myself! It's for you to wear."

"It's very lovely," Kuroo responded, "Where did you get the flowers though?"

The girl looked around nervously, "Uhm... my dad gave them to me?"

"Want to try that again sweet pea?" Daichi crossed his arms as he came up behind them.

"My daddy gave them to me?" she tried again.

Iwaizumi also crossed his arms as he appeared next to Daichi, "Aiko....."

Aiko pouted as she looked at her parents, "I took them from the photobooth.... I'm sorry," she said quietly as she looked at them with tearful eyes.

"Oh no... it's okay Aiko," Kuroo reassured as he placed her down, "There are plenty of flowers around. Anyways, who says I can't have a head piece either? I'll wear this at the front of the room, okay?" he said as he held up his pinky finger. 

She grinned and locked fingers with him, "Promise?"

"Promise," he smiled, "You can have a cupcake from the kitchen too.... just don't tell anyone else," he whispered. 

Aiko gave him a toothy smile as she nodded. She ran happily to Iwaizumi, sticking her arm out to take his hand. He took it gently as he nodded to Kuroo, mouthing a small thank you as he took her to the kitchen. 

"She's adorable," Kuroo grinned as he looked at Daichi, "I can't believe you two are parents, but you'd probably be the best out of all of us."

Daichi chuckled, "You did bet that we'd be the first to get a kid. Two bets in a row... you won two bets!" he shook his head, "First the proposal bet and now this. Although... you did lose some since we adopted a kid and not applying for a baby."

"I though you wanted to raise a baby though," Kuroo pointed out, "You guys said so yourself."

"We were thinking of it... but then she came up to us at the adoption center. She handed Iwaizumi a cookie, Kuroo. How could we have not chosen her? She's an absolute sweetheart," Daichi smiled fondly. 

Iwaizumi and Daichi got married the year after everyone recovered from the major events. Three years after being married, they adopted Aiko, and they were happily living in the city with their daughter. The two were now teachers at an agent academy, which was a safer option than the actual agent work. When they were needed at the agency though, they would only take on body guard requests.

"What are we talking about?" Bokuto piped up as he looped his arms around the two.

"Kids," the two replied. Kuroo looked back at his first best man, "What about you and Keiji? Are you two plowing through adoptions papers as well?"

"We're taking it slow," Bokuto nodded as he looked into the distance, "Not yet..."

"Says the one who got married after dating for a year an a half," Kuroo smirked, "You told me your whole dream plan, but you immediately jumped over the "dating for a few years before marriage" point, Bo."

"Hey! If I know it was meant to be, I might as well do it, right?" Bokuto argued, "Keiji immediately said yes too. We're just taking on our marriage slowly. We can wait a while for kids. Now filling out papers for a house though, that's what we're doing. I can't wait to leave the city... I'll miss it though."

Bokuto and Akaashi- no, Keiji- oh whatever. Most people still called Akaashi by his old last name anyway. The two got married after one year and a half of dating. They were definitely the quickest to get married, but it wasn't much a surprise. He was pretty sure that everyone was rooting for them to get married since they were an ideal couple. The pair currently had six dogs: Fighto, Rocky, Moon, Dakota, Blue, and of course, Tofu. They were filling out applications to buy a house in the country as of now, but they still did agent work from time to time. Akaashi mainly works at a nearby bookstore though, while Bokuto is the one who does more agent work.

"Well get a house warming party ready," Kuroo nudged Bokuto's shoulder.

"Where is groom number one?!" someone shouted, "We need to touch up the hair!"

"The devil calls," Iwaizumi chuckled as he came back with Aiko in tow. The girl was happily munching on her cupcake. 

Kuroo sighed, "Coming Oikawa, I'm coming!" he shouted in return, "I'll see you guys out there."

His groomsmen waved goodbye as he ducked into a room. Kuroo sat himself in a salon like chair, staring into the well lit mirror. The flower crown Aiko made was very pretty... she must destined to be a florist. Oikawa appeared behind him, his arms crossed against his chest.

"The groom can't be late," Oikawa shook his head as he took off the flower crown, placing it down on the makeup table, "I'm going to fix your hair. Hopefully the power of gel and hairspray will make it slick back a little."

"I still want the flower crown though," Kuroo reminded, "I'm not breaking my promise to Aiko."

"Deal."

Kuroo watched as Oikawa struggled with his hair. He tugged it from side to side, but the spikes would still come back up. Oikawa had managed to flatten it down enough to place the flower crown properly. He hummed as he pulled out some pins to move back his bangs.

"You don't want to cover that burn with foundation?" Oikawa asked as he pinned back his bangs with plain black hairpins. 

"We don't keep our ugly sides to ourselves," Kuroo hummed as he look at his burn in the mirror, "It's fine the way it is."

"Ugh... you two are disgustingly charming. Not as much as me and Koushi-chan though."

"Yeah, yeah.... we'll see about that," Kuroo provoked. 

Oikawa and Suga were going a long way on dating. They now lived together under the same roof, but they were taking it slow. Suga was now the head of Bird of Prey agency, while Oikawa maintained his place as head of Nekodorani. The two agencies worked together very often, with the additions of Johzenji and the occasional Iron Wall backing them up. There wasn't much action going on as there was five years ago, but the couple still enjoyed their work.

"Alright, let me check your nails," Oikawa continued as he held out his hand. Kuroo placed his hand on Oikawa's, a gleaming black polish on his nails. It was per request of Oikawa, but he wasn't going to lie.... they looked great.

"Good," Oikawa affirmed, "No chipping."

Kuroo stared back into the mirror. If he looked this nice...

What would Tsukishima look like?

"Do you know how Tsukki is coming along?" Kuroo asked as he stood up.

"No spoilers," Oikawa stuck his tongue out, "You'll just have to wait at the alter."

Kuroo pouted. They were following the traditional wedding concept: the groom can't see their partner until the day they stood at the alter. Suga was probably doing his best to make Tsukishima shine... 

Kuroo Kei. Kei Kuroo. K.K.

He smiled to himself. They were going to share his last name now. 

He straightened his suit jacket once more as he looked back into the mirror. He reached up to his tie to straighten that as well. Kuroo lightly grazed the burn mark on his forehead as he pushed a single strand of hair back. 

"How much longer until it starts?" he asked for the fiftieth time that day. 

"Thirty minutes."

Half an hour left. He could hear his groomsmen being called out for a final rehearsal. Kenma was in the bunch, but he was also in charge of lighting, sound, and music. He was most likely bustling around, but he would be by Kuroo's side since he was his second best man. Most weddings only had one, but Kuroo couldn't decide between his childhood best friend and his other best friend. 

Thirty long minutes.... he wished that time went by faster.

He couldn't wait to be by Tsukishima's side forever.

* * *

_Click._

"That's a wrap! You all did splendidly," the photographer smiled as she looked at the photos, "I'm going to take photos of the venue for now, but if anyone needs me, feel free to give me a holler!"

"Okay!" Akaashi clapped as he moved away from their group position, "We can now return to panicking."

Tsukishima's shoulders slumped over. Ugh... they were so sore from having to stand up straight. Yamaguchi came up to him, a comb in his hand as he fixed some pins that were falling out of his hair. It was a "vintage headset” : some pearls and a rustic moon were hanging in his now long hair. 

"Tsukki, did you mean to grow your hair out this long?" Yamaguchi noted as brushed away some falling strands, "You could put this in a small ponytail if you wanted to."

"Sugawara insisted," Tsukishima sighed, "It's different... but it's tolerable."

Sugawara and Oikawa were the ones who helped them plan their wedding. Suits, venue, photo booth, invitations, and all the decorations were done and arranged by Sugawara and Oikawa. His suit was crisp and clean: a white suit with the collar being black, a black tie, white painted nails (Sugawara's idea once more), and his pearl hair pieces. The theme of their wedding was "vintage garden", which was heavily inspired by the cafe they went to on their first date. Of course... there were hints of modern things in between, including their outfits, but it mixed nicely. 

His groomsmen wore a dress code: navy blue suits, light blue dress shirt, thin yellow tie and a napkin folded into the shape of a flower that rested in their pockets. They were all bustling around as they desperately spoke into their phones and fixed details on Tsukishima's outfit.

Because what the hell is a wedding without some sort of problem?

Tsukishima stared down at his bare feet, the shoes being the only thing missing from his outfit. They had agreed on having one of their dogs bringing in the rings since they wanted their pets to be incorporated somehow...

But maybe they didn't want to be apart of the show. Goldie chewed up his shoe. She sat in the corner, her sad eyes glancing towards him. Sugawara gave her a scolding after he found the shoes being destroyed in the dressing room. Tsukishima walked over to her and knelt down, patting her on the head.

"It's okay girl," he murmured, "You didn't mean to. They're just shoes... we ordered an extra pair just in case. They should be on their way soon."

He stood back up, pushing a strand of his hair back. Sugawara came up to him, holding his hand to the speaker of his phone.

"Hinata is on his way," Sugawara reassured, "The store isn't that far from here... he can get here in ten minutes."

"How much longer till the ceremony starts?"

"Twenty minutes."

"I thought it was thirty...."

"Time flies by under this kind of stress," Sugawara replied as he hopped down the platform, going back out to the main room. Kuroo’s group should be rehearsing the places, so soon his group of groomsmen would be called out to practice their walk. 

Akaashi came over with a tube of chapstick in his hand, “Here. Don’t panic, everything will be fine.”

Tsukishima calmly took the chapstick, “I’m not panicking.”

”If you panic, Kuroo will notice it because of your connection and then everyone will panic. Stay calm.”

”I am calm....”

Akaashi fiddled with his fingers, “Everything is going to be okay.... just a little more...”

”Keiji,” Tsukishima rose his eyebrow, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

”...Of course not!” Akaashi sighed in frustration, “I’m just... having some rather embarrassing memories coming up.”

”You mean when you tripped walking down the aisle at your wedding?” Tsukishima asked, even though he knew the answer.

At Akaashi’s wedding, the man tripped over a small arrangement right at the alter. Bokuto was there to catch him, and they played it off with a dip and spin. It was a rather smooth save, but Akaashi probably had nightmares about that moment. He wanted everything to be perfect....perhaps that’s why he was worried. Akaashi didn’t want to mess anything up this time around....

”Oh my god.... I’m your best man... at least one of them. I’m sure Yamaguchi will be fine... he’s practiced for so long. What if I trip again? No... not again!”

Yamaguchi and Akaashi were his best men. There were two since Kuroo couldn’t pick just one. He had considered his brother, but he decided on something different for Akiteru. Tsukishima’s brother was the one walking him down the aisle. He glanced over to look at Akiteru, who was talking to Sugawara. Tsukishima turned his attention back to Akaashi. The man was now biting the sides of his nails.

”You’ll do just fine,” Tsukishima affirmed, “You’re going to link arms with your partner, so you won’t fall.”

Akaashi sighed, “Right. Right. I just want this to be the best day for you. No mistakes.”

”Well, we’re missing shoes. It’s already off to a great start,” Tsukishima chuckled.

”Groomsmen out on the main room, we’re going through one more quick rehearsal!” Sugawara called.

Akaashi gave a thumbs up to Tsukishima as he walked out of the room, following the others out to the main platform. Tsukishima went down the platform, heading into the dressing room to switch out his glasses.

”Golden rims today,” he told himself as he opened his glasses case, holding it in one hand as he took off his black rimmed glasses. He put them down on the table, taking out his other pair and placing them on his face.

Not bad. He looked....nice.

”Shoes are here!” Sugawara happily shouted as he walked in with the box of spare dress shoes. A while had passed, but at least they were here.

Tsukishima took the box in Sugawara’s hands, sitting down in the chair in front of the makeup mirror. He opened the lid of the box, expecting to see his white dress shoes.

”Sugawara.”

”Yeah?”

”Do you happen to have a gun on you?”

”What?”

”I’m going to kill Hinata...these are the wrong shoes!” 

Tsukishima showed Sugawara the shoes. Six inch... white and black, platform shoes. Platform shoes. Chunky. Wedged. Platform shoes.

”Platform shoes?!” Sugawara cried out, “No... we ordered the exact same thing. How?!”

Tsukishima looked at the label on the side of the box, “This was for another Tsukishima.... idiot should have checked the first name!”

He felt that hard tapping starting against his head. Stay calm...he couldn’t risk setting Kuroo off. 

”It’s okay... this can still work this out. We have-“

Sugawara’s eyes widened as he looked at his watch.

”Ten minutes.”

“There’s no time to go back,” Tsukishima scowled as he took out the shoes. They were the same size....

He tried them on. As soon as he stood up, he towered over Sugawara. More than before. He had to duck his head to get through the door frame....

”I’m going to look like the Jolly Green Giant,” Tsukishima murmured to himself as he stood in the empty room, “I can be Tokyo Tower if I wanted to!”

The tapping started to get stronger. No. Stay calm...calm... peace...serenity... everything is fine. It’s fine. 

“Well you can walk in them,” Sugawara nodded from the dressing room, “It can work.”

”You do realize that I’m almost seven feet tall with these, right?” Tsukishima sarcastically remarked as he looked back at Sugawara

Kuroo was going to be tiny next to him. 

”Five minutes!” someone else shouted.

”Tsukki are you... woah!”

Yamaguchi stood in front of him. He had to look up at Tsukishima, his neck craning back, “Uhm... we’re starting soon... but...”

Hinata gasped, “Oh no....” 

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at him, “You.”

”Tsukishima... don’t do this!” Hinata frantically yelled as he slowly started to back up.

”Three minutes!”

”No time!” Akaashi reminded, “Platforms or barefoot, you have to get ready to get out there.”

”You could always wear your sneakers,” Sugawara suggested, “White converse, right?”

True... but he only meant to use those for the dancing. He didn’t want to walk down the aisle in those... 

“Oh screw it,” Tsukishima sighed as he applied a layer of chapstick, “Get Akiteru and let’s get out there.” 

“Showtime!”

There was soft music playing as the lights in the main room dimmed. Tanaka and Nishinoya strummed in their guitars, playing the acoustic version of, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, by Elvis Presley. The ceilings was adorned with umbrellas hanging upside down, strings and vines of flowers hanging as well. There were the soft lights of vintage lightbulbs and lights hung around the edges of the benches where people sat. Shimizu walked down the path as she made her way to the front of the room, climbing up three steps and onto the platform. It was beautifully decorated with another flower wall. Shimizu was asked to officiate since she had done it before for Iwaizumi and Daichi’s wedding. 

”Ladies and gentlemen,” she spoke through a hand held microphone, “It is truly my honor to start off the wedding of two people we all know and care for. Please give a warm welcome to everyone as we commence the ceremony!”

People clapped and gave some whistles. The guitars switched to a slower version of “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars. 

“Here comes the entrance of our first groom, Kuroo Tetsurou.”

Kuroo came through the doors, linking arms with his father. He smiled at his son with tearful eyes as they walked down the white path. Kuroo had on the brightest smile, nodding his head slightly at those who smiled at him. As they got to the alter, Kuroo’s father embraced him, patting his cheek gingerly as he left for his seat. Kuroo stood up straight as he faced the entrance of the path way once more.

”Now for the bridal- or in this case- groom party.”

Their groomsmen went down the path, each of them smiling as they went to the front, leaving a flower in Kuroo’s hands. It was to assemble a “mark corsage”. It was another tradition to make a bouquet or corsage of flowers based on the marks a pair has. In this case, yellow and red flowers were taken to assemble the corsage, which would be tied together once both soulmates were at the front.

Aiko came in as the flower girl, throwing around petals as she skipped down the path. Boba was following her, some petals spilling out of the basket he had ties on his back. There were some soft laughing and endearing smiles as Aiko went up to Kuroo and gave him one last hug. Kuroo patted Boba as Aiko took him down the platform.

”And last, but certainly not least....”

Akiteru linked arms with Tsukishima, “You look amazing...even at seven feet tall. Ready?” he whispered.

Tsukishima took a deep breath in, exhaling just as deeply. He nodded.

”Please stand as the other half of the two grooms arrives... Tsukishima Kei!”

The guitars switched their music once more. The traditional “Wedding March”. The two walked slowly as they appeared into everyone’s views, a few awed gasps going around. From the corner of his eye, Tsukishima could see his mother beaming with joy. He smiled back at her, soon his attention going back to the front of the platform. 

Kuroo’s mouth was slightly open, his eyes sparkling as Tsukishima got closer. Akiteru unlinked his arms with Tsukishima, sticking his hand out to shake Kuroo’s hand. The two men smiled and hugged each other. The two then looked back at Tsukishima, craning the necks up to look at him. Tsukishima held up his finger, asking for some support. Akiteru allowed Tsukishima to lean on him as he unbuckled his platforms, taking them off and placing them to the side. Akiteru gave a thumbs up as he left for his seat. Kuroo chuckled as Shimizu handed their microphones, exchanging them for the flowers Kuroo collected.

”Well, even if you were seven feet tall, I would still be here with you,” Kuroo said into the mic as he looked at him.

The audiences awed at that.

”We need to be at eye level for this,” Tsukishima whispered to him, placing his hand over the mic, “I don’t want to put you to shame with my height.”

”You still looked stunning,” Kuroo winked as they both stood up straight to face each other.

The same introduction was said as always. Shimizu gave her greetings, a small insight on their relationship, and thanks to those who came. She smiled softly as she looked up at them.

“Please state your vows to each other. We’ll be starting with Kuroo and ending with Tsukishima.”

There was a small side table on each side of the alter. They each picked their respective pads of paper, looking down at their vows. Kuroo turned up the volume on his mic as he rose his eyes to meet with Tsukishima’s.

”How did I get so lucky?” he softly spoke, that smile staying on his face, “After so many downs.... Kei was one of the first ups in my life that I had in a while.”

Kuroo sighed softly, “The first time I met him, he shot me in the shoulder. There’s still a scar there. I know... it’s a strange meeting, but that’s how it all started. Soon, it spiraled down to risking our own lives just to save one another’s. There were fights, and there were sad times... which helped us grow together.”

He laughed to himself, “I didn’t even know how long I was hanging onto the past until I realized my feelings for Kei. There was always my past holding me down, but Kei made me feel that warmth that I didn’t even knew I needed. Love. I only wanted to be in that comforting warmth... even if it took anything to do so.”

Tsukishima tilted his head back slightly. His eyes were starting to sting. There was a gentle rhythmic tap on his head. Kuroo blinked quickly as he started to tear up.

Happy pain.

”We dated... we stayed with each other through hard times... and we waited so long for each other. He stayed along this journey with me. And for that I thank you,” he smiled at Tsukishima, “You are my light...my moon... my everything. Without you, I wouldn’t have found my true happiness.”

Tsukishima felt himself smiling.

”I want to be happy forever. I want to continue those silly fights we have about movies. I want to go to the annual art festival every year with you. I want to keep you in my life.... so even if you want to continue agent work and live in the city, or settle down at the suburbs running that small restaurant I blabber about.... I’ll always support and follow you. I’ll do anything to be with you.”

Kuroo lowered his notepad, “I love you... forever and always. So let’s get married and live a wonderful life.” 

Everyone clapped a little. It died down as Tsukishima turned up his mic and held it up to his mouth.

”If someone had told me years ago, that I would be marrying my soulmate.... I would have laughed and spat at their faces. Yet, here I am. Standing in front of you,” Tsukishima started as he gestured towards Kuroo.

”Pain. It’s the thing that kept us heavily connected.... physically and emotionally. At first, the idea of feeling those burns isn’t the nicest. I always thought that my soulmate connection would just hurt me. You proved that wrong, Tetsurou.”

Some tears fell away from Kuroo’s face. 

”Burns, pain.... don’t always have to hurt. There’s this warmth around each connection... a place to call home. Just like a fire on a cold winter day, I can run to your warmth and know that I’ll eventually feel safe and sound once more. Or like the burning passion of a dance routine, I can go to you knowing that you give your all...in anything and everything. And even as of recently, I haven’t felt excruciating pain... it’s only happy pain. Like when we bump head by accident, or when we play fight over the last bag of chips.... it’s all embedded into those warm burns.”

Tsukishima felt a tear falling down his face, “A warm fire... our relationship. It’s what helped me heal through the past and how I viewed soulmates. I’ve changed... because of you. You stayed when I was out, you held me when I cried... you’ve done so much for me, Tetsurou. So much.”

He looked up from his papers, “If you’ll tolerate movie marathons of Jurassic Park, trips to the museums, and dealing with my ways of expressing myself.... then I’ll do the same for you. I’ll go through your whiskey cravings, your love of dancing, and randomly splurging while online shopping. I want to stay in your warmth...”

He smiles softly as Kuroo, “Our mark has sealed our fate for a while now... let’s make it a reality. I love you... so much. Forever and always...let’s stay together.”

Kuroo wiped away his tears as everyone clapped. Tsukishima sighed softly as he cleaned off the tears that lingered on his face. 

“To complete the ending of the vows, we ask for your love to be affirmed. Kuroo Tetsurou, do you take Tsukishima Kei to be your husband?”

”Of course... I do,” he smiled.

”And Tsukishima Kei, do you take Kuroo Tetsurou to be your husband? 

”I do,” he smiled in return. 

”You have accepted each other to seal this marriage. It is after all, a marriage between soulmates. For this, we will watch as the couple tie together their “mark corsage”, a symbol of recognition and a vow towards their connection.” 

Tsukishima was handed a red and gold string. Kuroo held the flowers together as Tsukishima tied a neat bow around it. They handed it over to Shimizu, who collected their vows and placed it the corsage on top of them.

”We have heard the love of Kuroo Tetsurou and Tsukishima Kei,” Shimizu spoke up, “Their love is strong and beautiful...just like the fire they mentioned. To unify this love, we ask for the wedding rings to be brought out. A promise to love and support each other forever.”

Kageyama led Goldie out, the golden retriever walking down the path with a basket in her mouth. As she got to the platform, Kageyama took the small cushion out of the basket, holding it up for Kuroo and Tsukishima. They took each other’s rings, patted Goldie, and gave a small nod to Kageyama as the man led Goldie away. The couple faced each other one more. 

Tsukishima took Kuroo’s left hand, placing the golden band around his ring finger. Kuroo then took Tsukishima’s left hand, slipping the thinner golden band on his ring finger. They held each other’s hands as the looked back up at each other.

”And by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom!”   
  
Kuroo pulled him into that familiar warmth, smiling against their kiss as everyone standing cheered. Tsukishima held Kuroo’s face as he pulled away from him, the smiles still hanging onto their faces. Kuroo started to cry again as he looked into Tsukishima’s eyes.

”I really am lucky,” Kuroo whispered softly, “Stuck together?”

”Like glue,” Tsukishima responded.

Kuroo tenderly smiled at him as he took his hand, intertwining their fingers together. They walked back down the path, Tsukishima leaving those devil platforms behind. Their parents were happily taking photos. Some of their friends were crying with grins plasters on their faces.

He was no longer Tsukishima Kei.

It was now Kuroo Kei.

It was strange, but....

Their names had a nice ring put together.

How lovely.

* * *

As the room was rearranged after dinner, the dance floor was into view. Their best men said a few words before Shimizu appeared once more, ready to announce the next event. Kuroo tapped his toes into his dancing shoes: his yellow converse. 

”Before we all get our dance on, let’s invite our newlyweds our for their first dance!” 

Kuroo waited as Kei laced up his white converse once more. He then took him by the hand, leading him to the center of the dance floor.

”Perfect” by Ed Sheeran started to play on the loudspeakers. Kuroo took one of Kei’s hands and wrapped his free arm around his waist. The started to move back and forth to the song.

”Perfect?” Kei murmured, “Is this the surprise song?”

There was a sudden record scratch, the music coming to a halt. Kuroo pushed himself away from Kei, grinning as a familiar tune started to play instead.

”You know me better than that love,” Kuroo winked.

The crowd clapped in rhythm to the song. Kuroo took of his suit jacket, tossing it to Bokuto. He then loosened his tie. Kei started to chuckle as he realized where this was going.

” _I got chills, multiplying... and I’m losing control...”_

Kuroo danced to the solo song, going on the floor as the “electrifying” lyric came up. A soon felt a foot on his shoulder as it pushed him back up.

Kei smiled at him, his own jacket gone and tie loosened as he snapped along to Sandy’s lines.

” _You better shape up, cause I need a man!”_

”You got one right here!” Kuroo laughed as he spun Kei around.

” _And my heart is set on you_!” the crowd sung as the clapped along.

They danced as the lyrics went on, those grins plastered onto their faces as they continued.

” _You’re the one that I want!”_ the two sang out as they danced to their song, “ _The one that I need, oh yes indeed!”_

The dance break came on soon. Back step, two step, twists, spins... they freestyled it just like they did at the club. Kuroo soon swept Kei off of his feet as the spin and lift came around. People cheered loudly as the spun in circles.

The song came to an end. Kuroo placed Kei down back on his feet, the two breathing heavily from the dance. Kuroo gently pushed away Kei’s falling strands of hair, smiling as he looked as his husband.

”You know why I picked this song?”

”Because it was our first dance as a couple?”

”Yes... but also like Sandy and Danny, I’m willing to do anything to be with the person I love. I’m never leaving now.”

He kissed Kei’s cheek, “You really are the only one that I want.”

Kei’s soft smile stuck around, “And to my heart I must be true.” 

They danced the night away, old songs coming up on the loudspeakers. Soulmate couples joined in, having fun while dancing to the rhythm of the twinkling ceiling. They celebrated the joining of another pair of beautiful soulmates.

Soulmates.

The destined fate of two people meeting each other. 

Some say that fate can be changed, but in some cases, it never was meant to be changed.

Because fate created something so carefully put together. It was something that couldn’t be avoided.

As red and gold intertwined in the beginning, the meeting of two souls came to view. It was black at first... a rocky start to a relationship....

But soon the beautiful colors came into view. Love was shared, pain was shared...

Those blooming burns were shared.

The meeting of bright souls reinforced each other, becoming something anyone would dream for.

A genuine, comforting, and beautiful...

Love.

Soulmates.

The ones who make each other feel something more.

The ones who can mend a broken soul, even if it took slow steps.

The ones who will always be around not only as a lover, but as something more than that. 

The ones who provide a shelter for the souls who need a safe space.

Soulmates.

A meeting that was never meant to be a simple accident.

They’ll let their love grow like a roaring fire. They’ll let their connection grow into a greater warmth. They’ll continue to add into their fire... keeping it alive for as long as they can.

So let it live on. Let it spread.

They’ll let their soulmate connection...

Burn on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done. Finished. The end.
> 
> I would first like to express my STRESS over the Haikyuu chapter update (394). Sakusa and Komori are cousins, which was revealed in the update. I will not tolerate incest in my story, and for that reason I went back and made changes to my Sakusa and Komori arc. I added in a mark I was considering to introduce, but I never did- it still made sense with their story nonetheless. Their whole relationship is solely family bonds and friendship now. Some of you may try to reason that it was valid since their relationship in the manga wasn’t known when I was writing, but I was about to dig my own grave if I didn't changed it. I tried to ignore it, but I ended up getting no sleep and cringing every time I passed those chapters. It would also be better for the long run if any other fans read this story. I hope you all understand.
> 
> Phew.
> 
> Speaking of this story, it was never meant to be published in the first place.  
> Burn is technically a re-write. I first published Burn in 2017 right after I finished Life Through Glass. It was the same concept and similar plot, but I ended up deleting the first version I wrote since I didn't like how the story was coming along. In the original plot, we have the same pairings. The only thing was that Tsukishima and Akaashi were the first to find their marks, Kuroo was the one who didn't believe in soulmates, and there was supposed to be death. Shiratorizawa was the only conflict with minor Snake Bite issues. All in all... it was too lacking of a plot for me, so I deleted the work, telling myself that I was fine with one story under my user.  
> Boy how I was wrong.  
> As the three years passed, I encountered my deleted story in my mail. I re-read it, thinking how this story really could have gone farther. At the time, I had finally caught up with the manga, so I was aware of the other teams. Not to mention, the concept of the soulmate mark and sharing pain was too good for me to pass... especially since it was a secret agent and spies story. Soon everything started churning in my head....  
> Thus the current version of Burn came into the light. A complex story line fitting in different forms of love, hatred, and tangling relationships. Just my type.
> 
> Honestly, I never thought that so many people would be invested in this story. I kind of wrote it just to redeem myself for not finishing the first version of Burn... and because I was bored. But as I look back on it, there are many poetic and sentimental things within this story. It touches on various types of love- like a healthy one between Iwaidai, a push and pull one like Kurotsukki and Oisuga, a somewhat toxic one like Sakuatsu, one that started as unrequited like Bokuaka.... and now a family bond that was added in for Sakusa and Komori. Even the touching on loss of love from Kageyama was a nice aspect. Sometimes I even surprised myself by how decent some words flowed, haha! It was very fun to write and I looked forward to the lovely compliments you guys left. I'm glad that I was able to move your hearts in many different ways. I love to write, so I'm glad that many of you stuck around for the story. Most people wouldn't stand reading long fics like these, but I'm surprised that you are still here after 64 long chapters! Wow! Some of you binged this in two days too?! You guys truly amaze me.
> 
> As for future works, I only write a story when I'm completely satisfied with a solid plot. I doubt there will be any more works from me since I haven't been inspired since I started this story, but something might come up out of boredom. Don’t hang onto my words with too much hope though, I really am satisfied with my two solid works and it may or may not stay that way.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for all the kudos, the comments, and just everything. This trip had been a long one... almost five months to be exact- but I'm glad that we ended it happily. Throw out your tissues, there will be no more crying from Burn- unless you re-read it again, haha. I really can't express my words of gratitude, so I'll end this note off with a quote that inspired this whole thing to begin with. The one sentence that triggered me to write Tsukishima's and Kuroo's first encounter.
> 
> "There are no accidental meetings between souls."
> 
> Thanks so much once more. From author to readers, thank you for enjoying Burn.
> 
> -Star :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Allow me to introduce myself.
> 
> You can call me Star or Emerald, whatever floats your boat. I previously only made one story, so pardon me if any of these chapters feel like they are lacking or messy. I'll try my best!
> 
> Please enjoy: Burn.


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